Kingdom Hearts: Of Days And Memories
by AoZ
Summary: A new chapter begins just after the Door to Darkness was shut from two sides, and spans for the entirety of a long, painful year. Memory becomes the Key, when Sora's heart is dismantled, Ari and Riku are left as the sole two who can carry on what he started, until he wakens. In the days to come, what matters the most is what will save them from the shadows of the Organization...
1. Just Wondering (Out Loud)

_I have a feeling this will be a well-loved one…_

 _Chain of Memories and 358/2 Days invoke a_ lot _of emotion from fans._

 _I hope I give these two games justice…!_

 _Anyway, to sum it up- this installment is about Riku and Ari. Their mistakes. Their growth. Their decisions. Their friendship. And their hearts. It'll be a lot of hurt revealed, and the road to recovery from both sides._

 _ **Disclaimer:**_

 _I own nothing but my OC(s). Everything else belongs to either Square Enix or Disney._

* * *

 _ **Genre:**_ _Suspense/Hurt/Comfort_

 _ **Rating:**_ _Teen (Cursing, and other precautions.)_

 _ **Synopsis:**_

 _A new chapter begins, just after the Door to Darkness was shut from both sides, and spans for the entirety of a long, painful year._

 _Memory becomes the Key, when Sora's heart is dismantled by a petite blonde held captive in a castle named for Oblivion. During the boy's siege of the castle floors, Ari was forced apart from him. She found instead, a hateful, hurting replica bearing an identical appearance to their childhood friend, Riku._

 _When Riku himself shows up, from the castle's basement floors- the unsettled two must make a difficult choice. When Sora's safety is put in jeopardy, they rush together to form a relentless tag-team, despite the baggage between them- facing off from the depths of the shadows against the hooded cult calling themselves "Organization XIII"._

 _Maybe what mattered the most between them, wasn't remembered the least?_

* * *

 **KINGDOM HEARTS: Of Days and Memories**

 **Chapter I**

 _ **Just Wondering (Out Loud)**_

* * *

The sound of a fire danced to every crack of heated wood breaking in the pit of it. A duck and dog lay asleep among their equipment, a tent set up for the other two who remained by the fire's side.

A boy not even fifteen sat staring into the flames, with a look of absolute concertation and deep thought.

Not far from him, a girl a year his senior lay on her side with eyes closed, head propped by hand. She was listening to the sound of the campfire.

At the boy's feet, a small cricket diligently wrote in his journal every detail he could recall and see.

"Jiminy?" the boy's voice cracked. Puberty was setting in, his voice the prominent indicator. "What do you keep writing about?"

The old cricket chuckled quietly. "Why, our adventures, Sora. Care for a look?"

Sora tried. He really did. But the pages and penmanship were just too small for his baby blues to focus in on. "Er…sorry, Jiminy."

The cricket laughed a little louder. "It's alright, Sora. Would you care to know what's on the last page?"

They turned to the small snort coming from the only female among them. Without cracking open an eye or missing a beat, she mused nonchalantly. "Oh, I bet it was about _Kairi_. After all, Sora doesn't go a day without looking at that charm she lent him."

Sora squawked with mortification. "Sh-she…no! No, I…erm…uh…"

She and Jiminy laughed.

"Shut up, Ari!"

She opened an eye to see his face bright red and illuminated perfectly by the orange glow of their fire. "Relax," she giggled. "I'm just teasing you, kid."

She could hear him grumble- something between he was only a year younger, to how it _wasn't like that_ with her cousin.

"Well, it's not that far off the mark," Jiminy mused. "She was a part of everything up until everyone parted ways. I was reflecting on Sora's promise, and his pattern of making and keeping them."

Ari's laughing calmed. "Well, he's got a good track of that."

"Not to mention the importance that charm has for him."

"Shut _up_!"

Laughter ensued. The duck snorted, turning in his sleep; back facing the fire.

Stretching, Ari turned onto her back. The heat of the fire washed over her. It was beginning to lull her into slumber. "Get s'me rest," she murmured behind a yawn. "I know it's hard Sora…but you need to sleep."

The last thing she heard behind the dancing crackle of their fire, was Sora murmuring his incoherent response.

* * *

" _Along the road ahead, lies something you need._

 _However, in order to claim it-_

 _You must lose something that is dear to you._ "

* * *

They were woken by Sora's shouting.

"Get up! Getupgetup _GETUP_!"

She jolted, turning over and curling into herself the louder he got. "What!?" She snapped groggily.

"There…there was someone. I took a walk 'cause I couldn't sleep. There's this…crossroad…or something. Anyway-"

"Back up," Ari snapped, pressing up onto her knees and narrowing her eyes at the boy. "What do you mean you went for a walk!?"

The duck was living behind her. "You damn well know the rules, Sora! Don't take off on your own when we don't know where we are!"

Yet the dog seemed to keep his cool. "Whaddya mean…there was someone…?"

"It's like I said, Goofy!" Sora's breathing was ragged. "He…came out of nowhere. Then took off down the trail we're already heading down. Said something about something I need…but I gotta lose something in order to…claim it…or something?"

The duck and the girl through themselves back onto the ground, grumbling into their own limbs the ludicrous notion of a midnight hunt for answers.

"C'mon!" Sora was already packing up their equipment. "Let's go already!"

She loved the boy- he was family. But in that moment, she could have offed him on the spot.

' _He's not the only Keyblade wielder we have. No one would question it so long as the job is still done…_ '

It had merit. Donald, behind her, seemed to be considering the pros and cons to it as well.

* * *

"Where…where _are_ we?" She couldn't help the inquiry as it escaped unhinged.

Two hours they had trekked. Going from grassland and shallow hills to a bottomless abyss housing one lone bit of land at the end of the trail- a crooked castle its only means of inhabitance.

"Uhhh…" Donald tried to answer. But really, what could be said? It was a castle, a small bastion, in the middle of nowhere with empty Darkness encasing the horizon and abyss.

Yet Sora seemed to not need an answer, as he marched along to the double doors keeping them from within.

Goofy paced behind the boy, while Ari and Donald shared a look of uncertainty.

' _This doesn't feel right…Sora, what are we doing here?_ '

* * *

"Hey…ya think it's OK to barge in…?" Goofy was finally on the bandwagon of worry.

The door was left wide open behind them- well, one side of it, anyway. White halls, offwhite décor and installments to add variety. High ceilings. Long halls.

"What kind of place did we just wander into…?" Ari muttered behind Goofy, gluing herself closer to the group.

Donald swallowed. "Well…we've gotta do it, if we wanna find the king…"

The notion perplexed the poor dog. "The king…!? You mean King Mickey's here?" He whirled around on his clumsy feet, almost as if he were expecting to see the small king standing there, waiting for them to find him.

Donald grimaced. "Something just…told me he'd be here, _OK_?"

Baffled, Goofy placed a hand over his chest, where his heart no doubt thumped a little quicker than was normal for him. "Really…? 'Cause now that ya mention it, I was…kinda thinkin' the same thing."

Sora turned around, eyes widened by slight surprise. "Seriously? Me too…! One look at this castle, and I just knew." His mouth spread into a soft smile. "Our very best friends- they're _here_."

Ari bit her tongue from behind Goofy and Donald. ' _Tch. Yeah- right. Maybe yours, but mine are back at the Bastion._ ' She looked back to the doorway, feeling uneasy by something she couldn't quite place her finger on. ' _This doesn't sit right. None of it does. But why…? Why am I feeling so uneasy?_ '

She turned around to Goofy's signature chuckle. "Ahyuk! Guess great minds think alike."

"Wait…!" Jiminy scrambled up onto Sora's shoulder, having taken to traveling with him that night. "Just hold on. This can't just be coincidence."

Donald shook his head. "Oh no, Jiminy. You don't mean-"

The cricket nodded his head with absolute serious assurance. "Yep, I had it too. I had the _exact_ same feeling."

"Gwarsh!" Goofy clamped a hand over his mouth. "Maybe it's contagious!"

Shaking his head stubbornly, Donald refused to believe it was that simple. "No, no- something's screwy. We gotta take a look."

' _And that's where I'd disagree._ ' She thought, brushing back her growing bangs from her eyes.

"All right," Sora turned to head for the doorway at the other end of the hall.

Donald startled. "Where do you think you're going!?"

"That way," Sora pointed to the door. Placing his hands on his hips, he cocked his head with lips spread into a Cheshire grin. "What? Are ya scared?"

Refusing to admit such a notion, Donald fixed his hat and responded with indignation at such a thing. "Of course not. Don't be ridiculous!" He waddled ahead. "C'mon you two."

"Uh…shouldn't we shut the…" Goofy's vice trailed off, Ari jolting at his side as they turned to the door left unopen. "…Door…"

A soft click, and the large doors shut rather quietly, thanks to a hooded figure garbed in a black coat.

"Sora…!" Ari called out, halting her best friend in his steps.

He turned around, scowling at the sight of the figure. "That's it," the boy snapped. "Just who are you?"

Silently, the figure walked their way; boots the only sound masking the swishing of their coat.

Donald tensed. "Heartless?" he assumed.

She was about to bite out that she highly doubted it. ' _They don't feel the same. Even 'Ansem' felt different comparatively._ ' But she didn't get the chance.

The duck shook his head. "I'll try some magic." He clutched his staff, when he dug that out of their supplies and equipment she wasn't sure…

Pointing it at the approaching figure, Donald shouted out, " _THUNDER_!"

But nothing came cascading down. Just silence. No mana. No magic. No spell. Nothing pulsed like it should have.

Perplexed, Donald tried again with more vigor. "THUNDER! _THUNDER!_ "

 _Nothing_.

"Come on…" He muttered, patting the head of his staff in his other palm. "Blizzard…!" he swung, with no results. " _Fire_!" To which no heat arose.

The figure halted about two meters from where they stood. "I should think it's obvious, why it's not working." The voice of a masculine figure. Ari tensed. ' _A silver tongue. Be on guard._ '

"Heh." The figure shrugged one shoulder. "The moment you set foot in this castle, you forgot every spell, every ability, that you ever knew."

She was left at that moment, she realized, to be the only one among them who had yet to have her weapon out. Rather, she seemed to fixate more on the way he spoke, and what he spoke of. ' _You're up to something. You wanted him here_.' And she could only wonder as to why.

He seemed unperturbed by her steeled silence, more curious as his neck turned, hooded face directed her way. "In this place," he seemed to understand the unspoken inquiry as to what made this domain so special, "to find is to lose, just as to lose _is_ to find. That is simply the way of Castle Oblivion."

"'Castle Oblivion'?" Sora tested on his tongue, just as the hooded one disappeared in Darkness, reappearing with a warped noise behind them from the same type of portal.

They whirled around at the sound of the element dissipating, as well as the soft chuckle. "Here, you will meet people you have known in the past." He remained still and steady. "And you will meet people you miss."

"I…miss?" Sora couldn't quite accept that taste in his mouth. But something clicked in his mind, to which even Ari couldn't say was positive or negative. "Riku?" He breathed. "You mean Riku's here!?"

The figure tilted their head to their right. "If what you want…is to find him…"

A raging gust pressed against the young hero, targeting him as the other three received the outer edges of the wind. Ari gasped at the sight though, as they could only watch the figure glitching in and out as he ran right through their friend.

"Sora!"

* * *

~.:*:.~

 _Fading memories. And reconstructed memories._

 _And…a dream._

 _A dream of you-_

 _In a world without you._

~.:*:.~

* * *

 _ **Author's Endnote:**_

 _Well there we have it folks! A new chapter in their story begins. ;) We're on our way for a long, taxing, tiring slew of adventures and turmoil. It will not be evenly paced, but I'll do my best to keep the confusion down to a minimum!_

 _Much love,_

 _~ AoZ_


	2. (To Their Surprise): Floor I

_**Disclaimer:**_

 _I own nothing but my OC(s). Everything else belongs to either Square Enix or Disney._

* * *

 **KINGDOM HEARTS: Of Days and Memories**

 **Floor I**

 _ **To Their Surprise**_

* * *

Sora shuddered, recovering as the air stilled around him and silence met their waiting ears. Ari sprinted up to the boy's side, reaching out for the bandaged arm she'd wrapped a few days prior. He shrugged her off, tense and waiting. He wasn't happy, being caught off guard like that.

Though they did not wait for long, as the same sound of the portal reached them from the shallow steps of the other set of doors.

Growling, Sora pointed the tip of his Keyblade at the figure. "What'd you _do_?"

The figure shrugged. "I merely sampled your memories."

' _What…?_ '

"And from them, I made this." Pulling from the depths of his sleeve, came something akin to a-

"There's no way memories can be imprinted on a card…" She hadn't meant to vocalize that. The chuckle he gave her response sent a chill down her skin.

"Ah, but laws of reality differ between the walls of worlds." He held the card out directly at Sora, then, voice calming down and lacking the amusement prior. "To reunite with those you hold dear," the card went sailing.

Sora barely managed to catch it before it could cut his head. He peered down at the large card, and he frowned at the familiar image depicted.

Ari peered over his shoulder, eyes widening the slightest. "Traverse Town…?"

Sora shook his head in confusion. "What…what _is_ this?"

"It is a promise for the reunion you seek." The figure turned, gesturing back behind him to the doors still tightly shut. "Hold the card to open the door. And beyond it, a new world."

Sora hesitated, puzzling down at the card in his hand.

"Heh," the figure continued to gesture to the doors. "Proceed, Sora."

"How did you know his name!?" Ari demanded, fists clenching.

He brushed her off with nothing else but a simper. "Proceed- to lose and claim anew, or to claim anew only to lose…" Shadows wrapped, pulling him into another portal of Darkness.

"Wait…!" Ari dared to bolt for him, but both he and the wisps of darkness were gone before she could make it up the stairs. "Dammit…" She scuffed the bottom of her boots along the edge of the shallow railing.

Sora chewed on his bottom lip. She was concerned with his frown, but he shook his head when he caught her watching him.

"C'mon," he adjusted his grip on the card, marching his way up the stairs to the door. "Let's go."

* * *

To her slight surprise, the door reacted, unlocking as the image faced it directly between the seams that sealed the two doors together. Like the sound of machinery, locks tumbled until a shimmer erupted from between them, Goofy and Sora could pull them open. Ari stayed tailing the end of their company, and came to be the only one that noticed the sound of hinges whining.

"What…?" She whirled around to see the castle's entryway doors opening slowly and forcefully. "Sora wai-!"

But to her dismay, he and the others had already passed through, and those doors had resealed tightly. She sprinted the few steps, gripping the ornate handles and tugging at them. No use. " _Dammit_!" She slammed her fist on the solid white.

She whipped back around at the sound of someone clicking their tongue. Growling, she tensed and braced at the sight of another figure hooded in another long black coat.

"Now, now," another male. "Just wanna talk for a sec, sweetcheeks. That's all."

"So start talking." She spat.

A low whistle. "Maybe I should just call ya spitfire. Or cinnamon. 'Cause damn girl you've got some fire in ya."

Her right hand clenched. She could feel the surge of energy just underneath her skin. "Tick. Tock."

"A'ight!" he threw his hands up in defense, though his chuckling derailed any sense of danger he held about her. "Listen sweetheart, we've got a problem. See- that boy's gotta go alone. You, however, shouldn't be here. You keep goin', you're gonna regret it. Got that?"

She scowled. "Yeah, no. Sorry, but I'm not leaving him behind."

He sighed. "Even his other comrades have been separated from 'im. You really wanna trek these hallowed halls alone?"

She chanced a glance at the locked doorway behind her. "…I don't have a choice."

"Sure ya do." He righted his posture, standing lean and…tall. "Everything in life's a choice baby girl." He simpered at her grimace at his petname. "When it comes down to it- who're you gonna look out for? If you had to choose between yourself and him, who's it gonna be?"

Her eyes were calm. Hard. But calm. "You know the answer already."

His chuckle came less filled by amusement, more like the resounding noise of irony, if she had to place it. "The sacrifices the heart makes. For every second of joy or pleasure, it is riddled by hours if not days of turmoil. Always the same cycle, wouldn't you agree?"

He was met with silence, to which he dug out a silver card from his coat's pocket. "Here," he tossed it her way, to which she snatched it up from the stairs on where it landed. "This…it's not the same."

"Nope." He laughed hollowly. "It's just a blank card. But it will unlock every door. Proceed onwards. But don't come cryin' to _me_ when the shadows and white walls lead you into that labyrinth."

Eyeing the card one last time, she sent the hooded man a cool gaze. "Then I'll break down the walls."

" _Ha_!" He cackled. "What a spitfire. Don't go dyin' too soon now, angel." And he too, vanished in another portal of raw Darkness.

Biting the inside of her cheek, she turned her eyes back to the door. Shaking it aside, the entire conversation and the forced separation, she approached the locked doors again. "Alright…" She held up the card, and like before with Sora, the lock released and she managed to pry the doors open. Behind blinding light, she was met with…

" _What_?!"

* * *

A large white room. That was it. No décor. No elevated platforms. No stairs. _No Sora_.

"Donald…?" She tried. "Goofy…Sora!"

Nothing. Silence and her voice echoing off of high ceilings and white walls. She jogged forward, stopping to call again. Nothing but her own voice greeted her.

The doors shut behind her, though this time she didn't hear locks keeping her inside. ' _So I can leave once I've passed through them…? Fine by me._ ' Her sigh was tired, but she shook it aside and proceeded forward.

Step by step, her boots made soft scuffing sounds as they tapped against the white floor. Midway through took an eternity and no time at all, she reflected. But really, she couldn't shake the feeling she was under surveillance. By midway, she paused and looked up to the ceiling. With a frown and a shuddering exhale, she took to a sprint.

' _Screw conserving energy. I need to get out of here and find the others._ '

She couldn't shake the very bad feeling stirring in her gut. ' _Sora…don't do anything reckless._ '

* * *

The end of the room mimicked the entrance hall. Lowly elevated platform, and a set of white doors. She'd slowed her pace again, but upon seeing the doorway in front of her she altered into a sprint and took the steps a few at a time.

' _Please…please…_ ' She let out an elated bark of laughter. The doors were unlocked. ' _So not every door is shut tight._ '

Grunting, she heaved backwards, the right door budging with a deep whine. "Good enough," she breathed raggedly, wiping her brow with her forearm.

Slipping through, she wasn't surprised when it groaned shut behind her. She was more preoccupied by another white hall that lead upwards with a full staircase.

"Doesn't matter," she rolled her shoulders, setting off at a brisk walk. "Sora?" Nothing. "Donald? Sora, Goofy!"

The heavy worry started to feel like a rock in her gut. "Guys…where _are_ you?"

The clicking of that tongue. Her eyes fell to the right corner near the stairwell. "Now what?"

* * *

 _ **Author's Endnote:**_

 _Small cliffhanger~ Enjoying it so far? I hope so! More to come soon enough. I promise!_

 _I am SO SORRY about the delay for a week. Was at a friends' place, and they were adamant to hold me hostage for several days. ;) And then the week just escaped me. Going back to college in one week. However I'm still writing and on the final chapter for Castle Oblivion. But fret not, much is to come with this story! And then II after. :) Updates I'm hoping will be regular. But if not, please grant me your patience!  
_

 _~ AoZ_


	3. (Disquieting): Floor II, Floor V

_**Disclaimer:**_

 _I own nothing but my OC(s). Everything else belongs to either Square Enix or Disney._

* * *

 **KINGDOM HEARTS: Of Days and Memories**

 **Floor II**

 _ **Disquieting**_

* * *

The lean one in the black coat chuckled at her scathing look. "What? Miss me already?"

Ari glowered, standing straight and letting her pulse even out from the room prior. "Shut up. Where is he?"

He pulled away from the pillar he was leaning against, taking long languid strides up the girl. "My my, watch that tongue pretty girl. I'm a good humored man, but not everyone will take to that sharp mouth you've got yourself, there."

She shrugged off the hand he brushed over her shoulder, turning with him as he circled her. "I won't ask again. Where are they?"

He shrugged. "Onwards. Down memory lane. A place you won't find, for all your pieces are still there, are they not?"

"Memory…lane." She faltered, eyes quick to look away and more so back to the stranger. "If he's moved on, then what am I doing wasting my time here with scum like you?"

She took to a run, up the stairs and through the hallway. Even so, she could still hear him call out to her in the lower hall she abandoned behind.

"Recklessly you pursue what cannot be obtained. His memories do not correlate with yours. When will you learn, kid?"

* * *

"Not here, either…" She sighed, slowing to a walk as she passed through the upper hall. "Dammit boys…learn to wait up."

She shook her head, trotting up the shallow steps and pulling the card from her pockets. "Well, I can only move forward." Eyes switching from the card to the double doors, she bit her cheek again.

' _And then we're leaving this place. They're after Sora. I surmised that much. But why, and for what…it can't be good._ '

And then, an icy chill ran down her spine like winter rain, resonating with the _click_ of the unlocking doors.

' _They want his Keyblade, and not mine…why…?_ '

A quick glance behind her, and she vanished past the doors, tugging them shut behind her. "I need to be quicker."

* * *

~.:*:.~

"You seem pretty intrigued by this _Sora_ kid."

"Are you telling me you're _not_ , Larxene?"

"Haven't decided yet… I think what intrigues me more, is what you see in him."

"…There was a time he became a Heartless. And if one becomes a Heartless-"

"'They lose their minds and their feelings'… They're consumed by Darkness."

"Right. But not Sora. He held onto his feelings, even as a Heartless. And there's only one other man who's been able to do just that."

"It's the strength of his heart… _That's_ what interests you. Why the Keyblade chose Sora's heart."

"…To unlock the mysteries of the heart. Isn't that the Organization's mission?"

She laughed.

~.:*:~

* * *

 **Floor V**

* * *

She stood at the front of another set of doors. "The fifth floor…" she held the card tightly to her chest. "Still no sign of _any_ of them."

Her voice echoed, the same thing permeating and rebounding between columns and walls. And it was there, she felt isolation and loneliness completely envelope her. The arm not containing the hand with the card wrapped around her waist, fingers fisting into the cloth of her worn down sleeveless hoody.

' _Kori…Yuffie…_ ' Two names of two faces she'd give anything to see. ' _Vanille and Lulu…I…guys, I could use the company_.'

She shook her head violently, hair flying askew. There was no point in wishing for something that couldn't happen. With the same arm, she reached up and sifted her fingers through her hair, pushing the strands aside as her hardened gaze zeroed in on the off-white doors.

Becoming routine, she flicked her hand out, and the doors reacted to the card. Clicks and grinding, and the shimmer indicating whatever barrier keeping her out was broken. She only made one step, however, when something drew her back. She whirled around, looking down the corridor from where she'd already traversed.

' _Something…someone's here…_ '

Something both alien and achingly familiar. Bright beaches, cool nights, and dripping shadows…

She hadn't sensed it in a while. And only then, for a brief period of time.

Ari had to wonder.

' _Riku…?_ '

* * *

~.:*:.~

"…Don't I even warrant a ' _hello_ ', Lexaeus?"

"…"

"What is going on here, Zexion? I demand an explanation."

"Nice to see you, _too_ , Vexen… It's such a shame. The Organization used to be the rope that bound us together, once upon a time."

" _You_ are only Number VI! How dare you-"

"Let it go Vexen."

"…"

"Zexion, tell us. What did you detect?"

"…Visitors. I picked up two scents in the castle's lowest basement. One of them was… _Maleficent_."

"Don't be absurd. The witch is gone. She cannot return from the Realm of Darkness of her own volition."

"If you would let me _finish_ … The scent belonged not to the real Maleficent, but to a very convincing double."

"…Go on."

"But I truly cannot say much beyond that since the double is no more. Our other 'visitor' saw to that."

"…And who is it?"

"I do not know for sure…but the scent was quite similar to that of the Superior's."

"And yet, not _exactly_ the same, was it? This…truly piques my curiosity."

"Now the question at hand- what to do?"

"…We will wait. See what develops."

~.:*:.~

* * *

 _ **Author's Endnote:**_

 _Short I know. But I did warn this wouldn't be linear. Next chapter should begin to bring some better details and content. (Also as a head's up- Castle Oblivion and it's arch have been completed in this series! Currently writing out the remainder of Days as we speak!)  
_

 _Much love from me,_

 _~ AoZ_


	4. (Memories In Pieces): Floor VII

_**Disclaimer:**_

 _I own nothing but my OC(s). Everything else belongs to either Square Enix or Disney._

* * *

 **KINGDOM HEARTS: Of Days and Memories**

 _ **Memories in Pieces**_

 **Floor VII**

* * *

"…Mm? …I have identified the scent. It's Riku."

"Riku, you say? Has he emerged from the Realm of Darkness?"

"His existence- it was once doubled in the Darkness."

" _Fascinating_. That's why you mistook him for the Superior. That power given to Riku facilitated his escape from the Dark Realm."

"What I want to know, however, is why he's appeared here, at Castle Oblivion."

"That's really quite simple. His existence resonates with that of another hero."

"…"

"Sora…is in the castle?"

"He arrived earlier. Marluxia is already using Naminé's unique powers to meddle with Sora's heart."

"…Without even bothering to consult us."

"It seems he desperately wants the Keyblade wielder for himself- yet what a foolish plan he's concocted. There is more than one unique tool currently at our disposal. Sora's is not such an interesting existence. When compared to those that came before his time, his is lackluster at best. Rather, focus should be prioritized on Riku, as his current state still renders him malleable whilst withstanding the Darkness to such dangerous effect."

"Pardon, _Vexen_ , but you hinted at…? Pray tell, what do you mean by 'more than one'? Sora and Riku are-"

"You haven't caught her scent?"

"'Her'?"

"Sora and Riku are malleable still yet. But there is another in our halls."

"Who?"

Green eyes slanted as a Cheshire smirk spread over wide, thin lips. "Arina currently wanders these corridors, isolated and alone. You can thank Axel for that."

"Arina…? What is-"

"The Keyblade has appeared again, after near a decade, in the hands of a batch of three. While one is currently out of commission, we have two- but only one can be easily obtained. Do you truly think she would allow herself to be so easily manipulated? She's always been stubborn. You may thank your mother for that."

* * *

' _Run, run- have to keep going, gotta keep moving…!_ '

It had become her mantra through the long echoing walls of both the fifth and sixth floor. The latter of which's doors were shutting behind her with their precariously eerie low whines. With every room she rushed through, she was starting to swear they were getting larger and _larger_. Some with side doors. The last had been split between two rooms without a door to fully close the other out.

At the base of the stairs to the seventh floor's hall and doors, she took a brief respite. Bent over, she let sweat trickle down in beads, slow and few- the still air chilling her heated skin and flesh. ' _They have to be somewhere. Unless…I needed to take one of the side…? No. No, Sora would stay linear. He wouldn't detract from the main path._ '

Her free hand dug into her hoody's pocket, feeling the edges of the card in her possession. ' _However, his don't behave like mine. Maybe those doorways are leading off the main hall's path. That…it makes sense, but I don't have the time to backtrack._ '

Saving grace met her with the sound of Sora's voice calling out to something, or perhaps someone up ahead. And he sounded more surprised, and perhaps a little hurt, than anything else.

"Sora…?"

She didn't hesitate. Two by two, she let her legs scream in protest as she fought the ache to meet her friends and comrades.

* * *

"-it's more important."

Her breath stopped at the sound of his voice; a bad combination for the cardio she'd been pushing herself through for far too long between those white walls.

"H-huh…? I didn't mean that."

Cyan eyes were on her, cold and callous and…

' _It's like he doesn't remember me…_ '

Donald and Goofy were surprised to see her, both crying out. But Sora seemed so much more focused on Riku in front of him.

Riku scoffed, turning his gaze away from the boy, and more prominently the girl behind him, and cast his darkened gaze to the side. "Spare the excuses. I bet you'd all but forgotten about me."

"Are you crazy!?" Sora nearly choked, mouth dry and tongue feeling heavy. "C'mon, man. I came all this way looking for _you_."

"Tch." Riku cast him a dark look. "But you're not anymore, right? As of now, you're only looking for Naminé. Admit it."

' _Naminé?_ ' Ari frowned, stepping up behind Sora directly.

"You never cared about me," a scathing remark from the older boy. "Just like you never cared, at all, about her feelings."

"Naminé's…?"

Riku's sneer said it all. "I knew it. Never even gave it thought, did you? Just 'cause you want to see her- sorry, doesn't go both ways." He pointed an accusing finger at Sora, to which Ari pulled him back by his hood. He startled then, watching as the exhausted girl take front and center.

Riku's sneer didn't falter as he kept his eyes locked onto Sora. "To tell ya the truth- Naminé doesn't even want to look at your face."

Sora collided with Ari's arm, braced to keep him back. "Why not!?" he was desperate, she realized. Yet she had to wonder. ' _Who is she…?_ '

Riku's sneer broke into a tired frown. "You should ask your memories…on why she left the island. Manage to remember that, and you'd know."

She felt Sora slacken against her arm. "Did I… Did I do something? Is it _my_ fault?"

The boy's blue eyes met his best friend's dead center, eyes locked with his seeking answers. The other meaning to scar and inflict pain. "Riku…"

Darkness swarmed the older boy, and Ari caught the sign she was looking for. ' _I knew it. I don't know how…but I knew it wasn't him._ ' Raw Darkness. New Darkness. Scathing and left unchecked. Even his pulse…did not match.

"Go home, Sora," Riku scoffed, embodied by the organic suit sticking to him like a second skin they all recognized from prior encounters before this damned domain. "I'll care for Naminé."

Ari tried her hand, then and there. "Sorry. But we made a deal."

The other faltered. "…I don't recall any _deal_." He spat.

' _Bingo._ ' "Oh really? What? Can't bring this other girl back with us? Sorry. But you're not that stupid to allow your own arrogance to leash you for a second go around."

"Shut _up_!" His temper flared, and a wave of Dark Fire sailed her way.

Goofy leaped in, blocking the spell with his shield, to which it withered against the metal.

"Riku…" Sora called in disbelief. "Riku, what the hell has gotten into you, man!? You'd never attack her like that!"

The other scoffed. "Yeah well, she's not important enough to remain in _my_ memory, if she chose to be with you instead of me."

She sneered, to which she knew only the clone could see. ' _You're grasping at straws._ '

"Not important…? What the hell!" Sora clenched a fist. "Ari's been our best friend as…as long as Kairi has!"

"Speaking of- weren't you supposed to go back with her?" Riku shook his head. "Regardless. Go _home_ , Sora. I'll take care of Naminé for the both of us. And anyone who thinks they can get past me…well…" His anger channeled into a cloud of Darkness, to which was birthed the dark winged blade they were a little too familiar with. He lunged, Goofy pulling Ari out of the way as Sora scrambled to collide his Keyblade against the black metal. "They'll have to get through _me_ , won't they?"

Grunting under the pressure, Sora through in his body weight to get the taller boy off of him. "The hell…? Riku, we're supposed to be friends! What's gotten into you!?"

Riku clicked his tongue. "Please, Sora. Since when have you ever cared about me?" he pressed harder. "Naminé's not the only one who's sick of looking at you- so am I!"

* * *

He fled. Panting, gasping, and wounded- the lookalike fled from them. Ari was sure no one else saw the wounds bleeding upwards in wisps, rather than with gravity in rivulets of blood. Sora began to give chase, but she grabbed him by his hoody again.

"Wait." Her tone was stern, to which he seemed to disregard as he shook to dislodge her. When that proved fruitless, he resorted to fighting his hoody off instead.

"Oh no you don't…!" She grabbed him by both the chain of his crown necklace, as well as the back of his red jumper, using what strength she still had pent up to throwing him behind her.

He started yelling at her, accusing her of stalling them to which she silenced with a backhanded slap to his face.

"No, you don't get to throw insults at me when you left me behind."

That perplexed all of them. "We…" Sora swallowed. "No we didn-"

"None of you came back to find me." She snapped. "So here I am, who knows how long it's been as I've tried to search for you. Now tell me right now what the hell is going on." Her eyes narrowed in on Donald and Goofy, averting back to Sora who shrank at her anger. "Who is Naminé?"

Sora's face hollowed, but his eyes hardened. That was the first time, she noted warily, he'd ever thrown such a gaze her way. In the nine-and-something-years they'd been friends, never had his look seemed so…almost hateful.

"She…Ari, how can you not remember our best friend?"

That baffled her. "Best…? Sora, I can count on my hand the number of best friends I've had in my life. Not one was ever named 'Naminé'."

"But she was _there_! She left like…a year after you and Kairi showed up!"

She shook her head. "No…Sora, there never was…" She looked away as he started fuming, turning to Donald and Goofy to gain any other perspective while he steamed in his spot. "You two, start talking. The faster you answer, the quicker we can leave."

"Leave!?" Sora hollered.

She kicked his shin to shut him up. "Start. Talking."

"W-we've been losing our memories to remember stuff…!" Goofy blurted.

Donald nodded in agreement. "Our most important memories need to be dug up. After all, they brought Sora's memories of Naminé back, so who's to say what else we need to remember?"

"Besides," Goofy interjected. "We gotta go save her. She's trapped here by them fellers in those black coats."

' _Them…?_ ' She frowned in puzzlement. "How many have you encountered?"

"…Three." Sora wouldn't meet her eye, seething on the ground where he remained. "And I bet there's more. I won't leave without her!"

He flashed her an adamant look, challenging her authority. ' _What authority_?' She scoffed.

"Sora…" She grimaced.

In silence, she stewed on everything. ' _They forgot to come look for me. Their memories are vanishing. Mine haven't. Now there's a girl he's obsessed in tracking down, to which never existed according to my memory. Not to mention Riku…this one wasn't the one I felt. There's still a resonance elsewhere, I've been feeling it since I entered through the fifth floor._ '  
She paced back and forth sifting through her messy auburn hair and all the facts laid out for her. ' _Sora's not stable. He needs to stay put. This 'Naminé' can wait. That Riku, though, I need to find. He'll lead me to the heart of what's going on with the real one more likely than not._ ' She cast Sora a cool gaze. He was seething at her backside.  
' _If looks could kill_ …' She chuckled at it, shaking her head as she came to the stairway leading up again. ' _This girl…if they had no use for her, she wouldn't be here. Something's going on. First, though, Sora needs to be brought under control. And Riku…_ '

She shook her head again, casting one last glance to the others behind her. "Stay put."

Ari left no room for argument, taking off in the wake of the other 'Riku'. She felt a little bad for the abuse she put Sora through, but he was falling out of control, and she needed to rein him back in. Regardless, it still stung when he yelled at her backside with such blinding anger.

* * *

As she suspected, the other was sluggish and wounded. "Oh no you don't!"

He whipped around, nearly toppling at the sight of the girl. He growled, though, when Sora, Donald, and Goofy came clobbering up past her and stood firmly blocking the way back down.

"You just can't take the hint, can you Sora?" He hissed. "Go. Home."

Sora shook his head with nothing but stubbornness pouring from his very being at the notion. "Not until I rescue you n' Naminé."

'Riku' scoffed. "I don't remember ever asking you to rescue me."

Sora's face softened, to Ari's surprise. "Did you forget?" his tone softened too, cracking with puberty, but no less an impact on the genteel message. "Kairi's there- waiting for all of us to come home." To which he sent Ari a grin.

Surprise seemed to still paint her eyes. She followed it by letting out a surprised laugh. "Right…"

' _But this… Oh Sora…_ '

"Tch," the other boy rejected of the idea. "You're the one who forgot. I told you at Kingdom Hearts when we closed the door… 'Take care of Kairi'."

Sora jolted, wincing back from the accusation left unsaid.

' _You didn't abandon her. The islands were the only safe place left for her, besides…_ ' She shook the train of thoughts aside. ' _No use thinking on it now. Bigger priorities. Like where the 'real one' is_.'

"Give it up," the boy snapped. "I'm not going back to the islands- for _anything_."

Sora lurched. "It's not just about Kairi! What about the others, huh? The rest of our friends?"

' _Not to mention your poor parents. And Riku's. And pops…_ '

He scoffed. "You can have those losers." He grinned. "Already forgot 'em."

That set the younger boy off. "That…" Ari jumped at the sound of his Keyblade coming to his call. "That does it!"

"Sora, no!" she tried to grab him by his hoody, but to no avail as he started charging in. The cloth ripped from her fingers before she could even curl them in.

The other seemed unfazed. "What about you, huh?" He threw in loftily. "Do you actually remember their faces? Their names?"

Sora faltered, losing balance and coming to a near tumble to the ground. "W-what…?" he choked. "Of course I d-"

She frowned, sharing a glance with Donald and Goofy. They seemed more or less, less surprised. She however…

' _You…don't tell me it's true. What the first coat said…_ ' Could it be, that he'd given up all memory in order to find ones that never existed in their world…?

The other simpered softly, shrugging at the brunet's dilemma. "Don't feel bad," he cooed. "That's what this castle will do to you- after a while." He turned his back, waltzing his way to another staircase.

' _The halls are getting longer too…I_ knew _it. Finding Riku is going to take longer than I'd hoped._ '

And then, he paused, shrugging both shoulders as he mused. "It's good. You forget all the useless crap and remember, for the first time, what really matters." He sent a scathing look to Sora. "In my case, it was protecting Naminé. Nothing else matters to me. So back off. She's not your concern anymore. And neither am I."

Sora's grip faltered, though not enough to allow his blade to clatter on the white-white floors. No, she could sense something replaying in his mind. And she had an idea that it was the bond he and Riku shared since early childhood being brought forthright to his memory.

She slouched, head lowering as she recapped on that bond. ' _They're brothers in all but blood. Of course that would wound him. But…I'd think he'd know that no matter what, Riku wouldn't toss him aside unless he himself thought Sora had abandoned him._ ' She lifted her head, eyes hard and frown creasing her brow. ' _The last mishap revealed that much. Riku's always been easy to jealous. But he's not one to flaunt and trigger it in malice unless provoked first. Just more proof I needed._ '

"Hey…Riku…"

His eyes and hers fell to the boy with the Key. She wasn't surprised, nor was she even remotely accepting of the direction his statement was heading.

"I think…" and then he crouched, ready to tackle and ready to fight. "…I'll just _jog_ your memory for you."

The other was amused. He rolled his neck, and summoned his dark blade in the same smooth curve. "Go right on ahead and try."

* * *

 _ **Author's Endnote:**_

 _Longer chapter? Yus. Appeasing everyone? I sure hope so! (I'm so sorry if the previous chapter was a bit dry or slow...! Sometimes they're necessary to cultivate the plot. ;-; My apologies.)  
_

 _*** Also, what I meant about the Days arch is that is tacked into this story, too. It's combined. And I've mapped this entire set to be about 40 chapters long. So please look forward to that!_

 _Next one coming next Sunday, so long as my schedule stays paced like this. :)  
_

 _Much love,_

 _~ AoZ_


	5. (The Fight For Her Friends) VII, VIII, V

_**Disclaimer:**_

 _I own nothing but my OC(s). Everything else belongs to either Square Enix or Disney._

* * *

 **KINGDOM HEARTS: Of Days and Memories**

 _ **The Fight for Her Friends**_

 **Floor VII**

* * *

"Hmph. Too bad, Sora. You can fight me all you want, but I still won't remember a thing."

"C'mon, Riku…let's quit fighting. Let's go help Naminé together."

"Together- _right_ … So like you… Sora- you're always trying to worm your way into my heart!"

"H-hold on- when did I ever do that!?"

"Hmph! You forgot that, too? You _never_ cared… It never mattered to you!"

* * *

"He…" Sora remained still and silently distraught as Ari wrapped more gauze around a new series of thin cuts. A knife, she'd been told by the others, wielded by a woman wearing the same black coat. As well as scrapes and bruises now marring his skin, thanks to the other, who'd long since fled the scene when neither fighter was gaining in their struggle.

She looked up at him when Sora muttered the rest. "I…won't let him, push me away."

Anything she'd say, she reflected on whilst tying the last knot and replacing the medical supplies back into the rucksack, would fall on deaf ears. She stood up, holding a hand out for Sora to take.

"Let him cool down," Ari offered carefully, quietly. "And _you_ need to, as well." ' _Maybe I can buy some time_.'

"But Ari-"

She shook her head, placing her fingers through his unruly hair. "No 'buts'. Take a break. Give him some space."

Yet he gawked, all of them did, when she swung the sack up onto her shoulder.

"Ari…" Goofy tested. "Uh…where do…where're you goin'?"

She through the dog a quick look. "Up ahead. Someone needs to keep going." Before they could ask more, she showed them the silver card. They faltered again.

Donald was perplexed, but Sora seemed torn ever more.

She surprised him into stunned silence when she pressed her lips to the edge of his hairline. "You've done enough. Rest for now." And off she went, up another flight of stairs onto the next floor.

* * *

~.:*:.~

"So what's going on, Vexen? Your 'Riku' was supposed to counter Sora. What's he waiting for, hm? Where _is_ he?"

"He's hiding somewhere to lure Sora deeper into the castle, right? I suppose we should just…leave it at that, you know?"

"A-ha! Oh, _I_ see now. I would never have guessed that. So sorry, Vexen."

"Silence!"

"Tch. Predictable response. Forget it. Men without hearts are so boring."

" _You_ are one to talk. As if you have such a heart to speak of yourself."

"That's enough."

"Marluxia…!"

"…Vexen. The simple fact is and remains- your project was a failure. It would be wise on your part to not disappoint us again."

"'Disappoint' _you_? You go too far! In this Organization, you are Number XI! I am Number VI and I will not have you- !"

" _I_ have been entrusted this castle as well as Naminé by our leader. Defying me will be seen as treason against the Organization and its entirety."

"'Traitors are to be eliminated.' I believe that is what the rules do say."

"Who needs a half-baked, good-for-nothing, anyway…?"

"Ng…"

"Vexen, Vexen…Vexen. You cannot win against Sora."

"…Pity to be so ignorant. As you're only able to see the surface of things, I should not expect you to appreciate my true might."

"Oh? Then let us watch as you prove this mighty feat."

" _What_ …?"

"None of us wish to be suspicious of a comrade."

"You're insincerity is comforting."

"You do realize by giving him such a challenge, Vexen will only wish to eliminate Sora entirely."

"That _would_ be an unfortunate denouement… But, what to do? Little blossom. Your hero is soon to be wiped from existence. But I do believe, there is a certain promise that he made you. Isn't that right, Naminé?"

~.:*:.~

* * *

 **Floor VIII**

* * *

Dark splotches marred the reflective white flooring that seemed to line the entirety of the castle. Crouched down near a wider pool, her river-deep eyes took note.

' _He's injured. He can't have gone much farther_.'

Adjusting the strap of the pack, she pressed on, holding the card out to grant her passage.

Locked inside, when she passed through yet another set of doors, she was met with a blatant clue. Rather than press forward, he'd taken to the left. The same splotches from the floor were smeared over door and handle alike too, leading her eyes were smaller drips trailing on the ground.

' _Well, that's new._ '

Ari gave the handle a tug, and it swung open without resistance; colliding with the white wall. "Oops."

She peered into the next room. Met by nothing more than a narrow corridor leading a long staircase going downwards; no lights illuminated the stretch.

"Hmmm…" Her eyes flicked down to a string of red beads on her left wrist. Stored mana. Meant for fire. Taking a quiet inhale, she snapped her fingers down the corridor and stairway. The ball of fire seared down, _down_ …and down. She barely heard the impact, but it was enough to know that there was an end to the stretch of stairwell. Ari hiked the pack onto both shoulders, and looked behind her to the door as it shut. ' _Do I dare…?_ '

Which she did. The door didn't budge. When she pulled out the card, neither did it unlock to allow her escape. ' _Figures._ '

Sighing quietly, she crept to the stairs' edge. ' _Only one way to go. From what I gather, it'll take me to about the fifth floor._ ' Ari took the first step down. And then another.

' _Though what do I know? Nothing about this damned place makes a lick of sense. Best to just keep pressing forward_.'

* * *

 **Floor V**

* * *

She'd been correct. An unlocked door, washed in shadow as no light could be found throughout the corrido. Only the smell of burnt marble and plaster, and the smooth texture of the same off-white door. This time a single set in a smaller frame; but no less grand.

Giving the handle a good shake, it opened with a grown, to which light blinded her momentarily as white washed its way into her vision. Her eyes scoured the entirety once her vision cleared. She let out a steadying exhale. "Just as I remember."

Though she took back those words the moment her feet met…stone?

Ari startled, jumping and legs spreading to ready her for fight or flight. Beneath her were patches of ornate stone-set paths. Colorful and cool, slate predominant in color, with the occasional piece of mosaic giving diversity to the otherwise white ground.

' _These…are just like the ones from that place._ ' Her eyes were quick to scan the floor. Not a single part was full. Only small patches scattering the entire expanse of the large room. "Okay…?"

The sound of a disgruntled voice came from the open doorway leading to the hall, connecting to the fourth floor. "Who…?"

' _Well_ ,' she sighed, ' _there's really only one way to find out._ ' She flicked her right wrist, calling on her blade to come to her aide. ' _Better safe than be stupid._ '

* * *

Ari crept with cautious steps, nearly tip-toeing over marble-like floor and stair. Down the hall, until she saw the sight of another man sporting a black coat, hood down and something she couldn't quite place about the long hair at the back of his head. At his feet the fake lay unresponsive, save for the eyes still shifting. Its pupils dilated inward at the sight of the girl at the bottom of the last few steps.

"All of that work, for you to be broken so _easily_." The man scoffed, pacing without ever turning to face her. "You useless tool. Putting me in a tight corner. Expecting _me_ to pick up your slack. I made you…!"

His foot kicked the fake in the hip, shifting…it? Really, she couldn't decide what to call the lookalike. Regardless, it grunted. To which the man ignored it entirely. A monologue of a rant he dramatized instead.

' _This is…so familiar. Not the image before me but…the way he's speaking. Where have I…?_ '

She tried another step, to which the fake made a noise. It silenced the man enough to peer at his creation. "Hm?"

The fake darted its eyes up to the man, then back to the girl on the stairs- who remained wondering if she'd made a mistake in taking that step closer.

"What is-" Green eyes, sharp cheeks, long _long_ hair parted evenly, and wide thin lips seemed moderately surprised to see the girl standing there behind him the moment he turned around. "Ah. I see, now."

Her gasp came out louder than she'd intended, backtracking up a step on the stairs. She knew that face, in its entire entirety. "No…"

He turned away, looking down at the copy. Kneeling down, he eyed something around its face. "Ah. No wonder. I know now why you reacted to her without recognition. Regardless, your failure earlier is inexcusable. I'll need to tamper with your components to bring you to an acceptable status."

He turned around again, brushing his gloved hands off. "My my," he remarked as he took three steps closer to the wary girl. "Not so little now. Do tell, child, how you managed to find yourself here."

Her brow furrowed. "Even…"

"Once upon a time," he spoke with such nonchalance. "However, times have changed. More intellect than heart are my apparatuses, now. No one amidst nothing, but I have answers and new discoveries tucked into both sleeves." He spread his arms wide, bowing his head.

"How…" her frown increased. "No way. You can't be here." Her grip on her blade tightened, to which she saw him take notice with a curious gleam in his eyes. "You look just like him. And you…" She paused. ' _No. He doesn't feel the same. There is a pulse…but he's lacking one, too._ '

"I am but a shell of the man you knew," he chuckled, bowing lower. "A servant to research and discovering the mysteries of our universe. Now do tell me, child," he stood upright again. Lean and far taller than she, still. "When did you acquire that blade?"

She tensed, retreating again by one stairstep. "…Does it matter?"

"No," his laugh was hollow. "But I'm ever the curious specimen."

"Tch," her grip tightened, her knuckles whitening. "Yeah, time hasn't changed _that_ much about you."

"Oh?" his eyes were alight. "Pray tell, what else are you picking up on?"

"Sorry," she bit out, "I'm not one to share.

He sneered. "Ever the same. Your mother would be appalled by that mouth you've acquired for yourself."

"Shut _up_ , you old creep!"

He cackled. "My my, back then I'd have been nothing but livid, and rightly so. You may have her pretty face, but that reckless behavior did not come from her."

"They're gone, so what does it matter!?"

She tensed while his laughing simpered off into a low chuckle. "While true. I'm not so sure they'd be so…understanding…to know their youngest child acquired a weapon of formidable phenomena."

Ari couldn't suppress her gasp at what fell from his thin mouth preceding his quip.

"And while it may be true that Sora has become the chosen hero of the worlds- one must wonder why it was not you? Or, perhaps, Riku?"

She pointed the tip of her Keyblade in his direction, a wave of panicked anger consuming her calm. "You leave them _out_ of thi-"

And then he was behind her. The identical vision of a man she'd known far before the islands became the reality of her world. His hand held her wrist, other invading evermore of her space; digging into the hoody's pocket. Withdrawing, he seemed fixated with mild curiosity over the silver card in her possession.

"So," she heard him murmur. "That is how they plan to do it. Curious. But it will do the job."

He released her, vanishing in a whir of air and Darkness, back to the puppet. He'd left the card at her feet, to which she scooped it up quickly. "Wha-"

"I'd suggest," he scooped his creation up with one arm. "You watch what these white walls will do. Best not be caught off guard. After all," he flashed her an overly curious grin wrought with amusement, and those wide green eyes; which had yet to change, despite the heavy emptiness she felt emanating from him. "You are far more valuable than Sora ever will be."

* * *

He'd vanished through Darkness. She'd made chase, but Ari wasn't quick enough before that… _portal_ …closed again. "Dammit!" she swore, soles of her shoes scuffing the white floor. She kicked and smashed her heel again for good measure, blade having vanished amidst her minor fury.

"Well…now what?" She rummaged in her pocket, pulling out the card; eyes never straying from where he'd stood. ' _So, he_ did _make a fake one. Typical. Who'd have thought, though, that such a feat was possible?_ ' Ari shook her head, eyes finally scanning to the card. She choked on a gasp. " _What_ …?"

It was no longer blank.

Rather. Patches of an image littered the charcoal square that had once simply been the center of the card's front face.

"What…" she looked around, hither and thither, she tried to find any sign of understanding. Any clue. Any sign.

"What the hell is happening…?"

* * *

Her steps were quick but light as she tapped her way down another set of stairs, down into the fourth floor where she was met by stone walls and the faint sound of a fountain trickling in the distance. Otherwise, the color and ceiling were the same.

"What the hell…?" her voice cracked on her murmur. She'd stopped in her tracks, standing stiff and stock-still. Pupils drinking in every detail and sound. "The doors were unlocked…they can't have just… _changed_ …"

But two rooms down and both had, entirely, started to morph. "I can't have been gone that long."

' _Then again, what is time in a place like this?_ '

Feeling unsettled, she tucked her hands into the pocket pouch of her hoodie, clasping her wrists tightly as she dared trek down the long corridor.

No one was around, either. Which unnerved her all the more. Just the sound of her echoing steps, and trickle of water were her only company.

Her pace quickened, the farther down the stretch she was. It was two-thirds down, that she saw the small wall ornate that spewed the sliver of trickling water. Crystal clear and perfect. Ari paused for all of three seconds, before she took to sprinting until her white-knuckled hands ripped the door open, her shoulder and back slamming into the off-white stone and shutting it back in place.

Her breathing haggard, her fingers digging into the skin of her left breast; her pulse erratic and untamed.

' _Stay put. Sora, Donald, Goofy…Jiminy. Boys just stay_ put _._ '

She didn't dare look again at the card. She already had an idea as to what it would show.

' _It's pristine. From before. Not like now._ ' She shook her head, hand trialing up to feel cold sweat beading at her hairline. "I…I need to hurry."

' _But forward, or back? Riku's still here. Whatever's going on, they're targeting him, too._ '

What she couldn't shake, was the cold pit in her stomach feeling heavier and heavier the more she wandered alone.

' _They want us isolated. Sora has the others. But…_ '

Ari swallowed, mouth dry and tongue heavy. "But what about…us?"

* * *

~.:*:.~

"If Sora disappears, that would mess up the Organization's plans."

"…I trust that you know what you need to do?"

"Heh…haven't a clue, _really_. Maybe you could spell it out for me?"

"Vexen has clearly committed a treasonous act against the Organization. You must eliminate the traitor."

"…No taking that back later."

~.:*:.~

* * *

 _ **Author's Endnote:**_

 _Not too horrid of a length? Yay? Anyway I know it's broken up and hard to follow. Hang on my lovelies. We'll be making sense soon enough- or so I hope!_

 _~ AoZ_


	6. (The Scent Of Silence): Floor IV, III

_**Disclaimer:**_

 _I own nothing but my OC(s). Everything else belongs to either Square Enix or Disney._

* * *

 **KINGDOM HEARTS: Of Days and Memories**

 _ **The Scent of Silence**_

 **Floor IV**

* * *

Back pressed to the door, she tried to relax the cavities restricting her airflow. Something was gripping at her, telling her that pressing forward was a bad idea. But that same inkling hunch? Was telling her backtracking back to Sora and the others was equally as bad.

' _With Sora, at least our numbers and odds would be better._ ' She bit her lip, frowning. ' _Then maybe we could find Riku…_ '

She shook her head, nixing the idea. ' _He's chasing the fake. He won't be able to tell the real from the other in his current state._ '

Her back slid down the door, to which she came to a rest in a crouch. Stretching her arms, she lay them over her thighs. ' _I have one option, then._ '

Ari knocked her head lightly against the stone at her back. She could still feel him. Somewhere far, but within the castle's walls she could feel both of her boys. What kept her tense, was the erratic pulses emanating from both of them. From Sora, she felt a rabid drive that unnerved her. ' _Where's our sweet boy? He's never this aggressive._ ' They'd done something to set him off. ' _No doubt it involved this '_ Naminé' _._ '

But Riku's? She couldn't breathe, for cold fear wrapped itself around his heart. ' _Riku…what has you this scared? You've never been this terrified._ '

Ari frowned at the archway leading down the stairs to the third floor. Outstretching her right arm, she called on the familiar weight of her blade. ' _If any good has come of this, it's the ability to sense the others._ ' To which she breathed a sigh of sheer relief. "At least I know they're still alive."

She pressed herself up using the balls of her feet, dismissing her Keyblade as she rose. ' _I have to wonder, though- if they've acquired a similar capability?_ ' To which really, she was curious if either sensed her still.

"Doesn't matter," she sighed silently. "I'm losing time. I need to find Riku."

So she pressed on. Steps quietly tapping their soles against polished stone floors, tapping to a rhythm during her descent down another set of stairs. Wrapped in silence, otherwise.

* * *

~.:*:.~

"I came to stop you from talking too much- by eliminating your existence."

"N-No…don't do it!"

"We are just Nobodies who have no one to be, yet we still 'are'. But now you can be _nothing_ instead of _Nobody_. You're off the hook."

"No… Please don't! I don't want t-"

"Goodbye."

~.:*:.~

* * *

 **Floor III**

* * *

"Man oh man, that'll raise a stink down below."

She faltered, not expecting a voice in the, by her surprise, completely empty third floor. Her skidded steps must have been louder than she'd thought, for the man in the room's center turned his head her way.

"Oh? Well well. Hey there, sugar."

Tall and lead, sporting long, wild spikes of red hair.

Her lips peeled back as she snarled. "So _that's_ the face you wear."

"Ouch," he feigned, leaning back as he placed a hand over his chest. "Wounded by your silvertongue there, spitfire."

"I highly doubt that," her blade sang as it materialized into her hand. "Whenever one of you coats show up, bad news follows for the rest of us. And I'm running out of patience."

"Temper, temper," he whistled. "What's the rush, Arina? Late for a hot date?"

She snarled. "How do you know my name!?"

He barked on hollow laughter. "Where are my manners." He pointed at his temple, index finger outstretched and thumb ready to pull that imaginary trigger. "The name's 'Axel'. Got that memorized now, pretty girl?"

She clicked her tongue. "Doesn't answer my question, does it?"

"No," he chortled. "No, it doesn't. But I think the question you'd rather be asking is- what's going on inside these white walls, hm?"

She back stepped. ' _He's cunning. He knows what's up._ '

"That look says it all sweetheart. Now lemme indulge you- just a little. We've got s'me traitors lurking among our rank. Now, no need to worry about them. I'm sure your friends are more than capable of eradicating them from the ranks. If not, it's _my_ job. Got that memorized?"

' _So he's here on orders._ '

"The rest are, too. But really, this is just routine clean up. We're lucky Sora came along when he did, no?"

Her grip tightened on her blade, to which his bright green eyes became alight like the fire he smelt of.

"Riku no doubt followed the scent you two left behind. Which I wouldn't worry too much about him, sugar. He's got a ways to go. Of which, I'm afraid you don't have."

"Oh yeah?" she challenged, right leg pulling back behind her as she readied into an offensive stance.

Axel chuckled. "Relax kiddo. I'm not on orders for you, other than to keep you occupied. Best keep you intact. Had you gone with Sora and crew, things would have gotten messy. And I'm tired of the icky job that follows that scenario. However, there were no direct orders for what to do with you. Bet ya weren't expecting your home to be popping up among these white-washed walls when you backtracked, now did ya?"

Her face felt numb as the blood began to drain away, leaving her pale and suddenly unsteady.

"I may have half-lied previously. Regardless- take a good look. Look'it that card. It's painting itself, isn't it?"

She hesitated. Ari wasn't convinced he wouldn't strike, but he had a point about that keycard…

"All of that because you turned around. A safety precaution activation. Wow," he whistled. "Say that five times fast. Anyway- if you'd like, I _can_ offer a…hand, if you will. Memories are a dangerous thing to be toying with. Once ensnared by the deepest pit of them, it's hard to keep old wounds from bleeding. Got it memorized?" He held out a hand to her. "I can keep you from falling victim to 'em. Whaddya say, spitfire? Take a helping hand?"

Ari remained stiff and still. ' _He's the one who gave me the damned thing in the first place. Why would he try and correct it now?_ ' She dared for a split second to retrieve the card from her hoodie's pocket, eyes flickering between him and the card in her left hand. ' _He's playing his own agenda. No matter how I look at it, the prognosis is bad on my end._ '

Her eyes zeroed in on Axel, narrowing at the simpering smile he wore. "No thanks."

He seemed perplexed. "Not even if it meant I could take you to Riku? You'd be there in a matter of mere seconds."

She pocketed the card with a scoff. "No. Thanks." She pulled in, righting into a full stand. "I don't trust you. I have absolutely no reason to trust you. Nor will I any time soon. I can fight my own way to him. So back off." To which she aimed the point of her blade at the hollow of his collarbone, bringing it up until it was square center between his eyes. "And stay away from Sora and Riku. I'll find you if you so much as put a scratch on them. Whatever you are, I'll _end you_."

Despite the distance, she heard his low whistle. "And to think my offer was genuine." A dark portal burst behind him; swirling in black and violet. "Well, I'll bow out gracefully. With a tongue like that, what's to worry about? You'll manage on your own." He turned his back to her. With one step in, he threw her a look over his shoulder. "Good luck, m'lady."

* * *

She charged after the closing portal, swinging her blade across from her abdomen, and arching it upwards to the right. She knew there would be no impact. But her growing frustration was gnawing away at her. The empty attack at least blew off some steam.

"This is…" her fist clenched, slacking and blade dangling in her loose grip. "Only getting worse." She could feel it. The moment Even's…well, whatever he'd become, vanished from her senses, Sora's tension rose tenfold. Riku's had remained steady, but she could feel something familiar congregating somewhere down below in the castle.

"And now a warning from…'Axel'. Tch." She shook her head, brushing her tangling locks out of her face. "I don't have a choice, idiot. It's press on or _die_." ' _To which I can't afford to do. So whatever you've done to deter me from here on…well…_ '

She started jogging, leaving the corridor comprising the third floor behind her.

What she'd failed to notice, in the unchanged room, was the small crack in the middle of the floor; left behind in her empty attack. What should have given her warning, she never saw.

From that crack, a set of small orange and lilac-hued flowers, were growing rapidly in her wake.

* * *

~.:*:.~

"Vexen is no more."

"Yes. His scent is gone. Axel struck him down…something I find deplorable-"

"Mm."

"Agents of the Organization. Striking each other down."

"Our problem now is Sora. Vexen proved to be no match for him, and yet he's still under Naminé's control."

"But we cannot eliminate Sora, can we?"

"Correct. For our Superior- he is in dire need of the hero of Light. Though…when Light loses sight of its path- we may find use for the dark. What we must do instead, is obtain the Darkness."

"…Riku. Of course."

"Mmm…"

"You're hesitating."

"…What of her?"

"…Arina."

"Yes. She wanders alone still. Though with every passing breath she draws closer to our pawn."

"The card has activated. It has been collecting data from her memory. Soon enough, she'll be locked out of the way for the time being. The Superior has eyes on Sora, not her. So long as orders do not stem from the higher ranks, we can leave her be. She'll be incapacitated before she ever reaches Riku. I gather…we need not worry."

"…Agreed. Though will she survive her relapse?"

"I do not know. She's always been tenacious. Based on that factor, the odds are in her favor. However the memory that card is picking up on lies within her subconscious. It will be a test in and of itself."

"One we're better off watching from the shadows. Do those dwelling on the upper floors know?"

"Doubtful. They never caught on to the replica's memory- void of any depiction of her, after all."

"…Hmph."

~.:*:.~

* * *

 _ **Author's Endnote:**_

 _First- to answer last week's question, no Vexen did not replace the card. He took note of what was beginning to happen to it; curious more of than anything else as to the purpose it held, and the intention regarded in terms of what the Organization so far wanted to do with Ari. :)_

 _Secondly- this is possibly the last regular update for a while. (Once every two weeks being the established schedule.) I hate doing this, but school is getting busy and I've got quite a bit to do to graduate! Still writing. But it's taking longer. And I'd need to write five more chapters quickly to get through my graduation date. And I don't think I'll make that mark. If that changes, though, I'll be glad to keep updating once a week! But for now, expect once every two weeks. Better than nothing, right? :)  
_

 _BACK TO THIS CHAPTER- well it's not looking too good, now does it?_

 _Basically this entire game was just so messed up. In a coherent way. But yeesh. Which is why I'll be making it darker. And darker…_

 _I'm sorry…?_

 _~ AoZ_


	7. (Thirteenth Discretion): Floor II

_**Disclaimer:**_

 _I own nothing but my OC(s). Everything else belongs to either Square Enix or Disney._

* * *

 **KINGDOM HEARTS: Of Days and Memories**

 _ **Thirteenth Discretion**_

 **Floor II**

* * *

~.:*:.~

"Rejoice, Naminé. The time is near for you to meet the hero that you've been longing for."

"…Nn? Oh. I…I'm…glad."

"But I'm warning you-"

~.:*:.~

* * *

"How are these rooms changing…?" She skidded to a halt only briefly. For though the white walls had not changed, the echoes of a street littered with markets and people surrounded her entirely. Ari was disoriented at best, but at least, to which she was grateful about, she could still recognize that the floor had changed.

It was larger. The main corridor was longer. There were doors tacked now along the walls to her left and right. When originally, there may have been one at best.

She ignored the side-corridors, sprinting down the stretch instead to the main entrance at the other end; where she'd originally traveled through.

* * *

~.:*:.~

"Sora… Even if you come for me, what then?"

~.:*:.~

* * *

"W-what…?"

Her eyes were wide, pupils dilated thin. The door was locked. She grabbed the handle of one of the doors, tugging hard. It didn't budge.

* * *

~.:*:.~

"It doesn't matter what happens to him. I'm protecting Naminé from you."

~.:*:.~

* * *

She switched to the other door of the two. Arms braced, foot against the frame to steady her body, she yanked the stone back with her. To no avail. Ari quivered from the strain, foot sliding down until it met the cold floor. Her knees followed after.

She slumped, clinging only to the handle as a means of support as she tried to tame her breathing.

* * *

~.:*:.~

"I promised to…keep her safe."

"You…did?"

"There was a meteor shower…this one night when we were little. Naminé got scared, and said- 'What if a shooting star hits the islands?' So I told her: 'If a shooting star comes this way, I will protect you!'"

"You made a promise…! With a toy sword!"

"W-what…? How do you know about that!?"

"Because…-"

~.:*:.~

* * *

"Dammit…" she'd tried another, weaker tug. But the doors just wouldn't budge. With eyes closed, she frowned; face buried into her forearm as she still hung tight to the handles. Her brow furrowed. "…Wait…"

She let go, stumbling to stand up as she rummaged in her hoodie pocket for the card. "Maybe…"

* * *

~.:*:.~

"You've done well, thus far. However…for you to possess such power, yet fear the Darkness? What a waste."

"I…I do not, fear it!"

"I sense that you do."

"Tch…!"

"You're also quite capable of controlling said Darkness. Why not cast away your useless fear? Open your heart; embrace the Darkness."

"And if I say ' _no_ '?"

"Then you lose both Light and Dark- and disappear!"

~.:*:.~

* * *

 _Nothing_.

Her breathing fell into a ragged, immeasurable pattern. The doors did not respond to the card. "This…" she switched her focus between card and doors, and back again to her trembling grip. "Doesn't…what's going on…"

Knuckles white from the strain of the grip she had on the card, she whirled around on her heels. A quick count, she found twelve doors.

"One…at least _one_ has to open."

* * *

~.:*:.~

"Her _what_ …?"

"See?"

"Tell me…where did you get that? _Gahg_ …!"

"Riku…? Are yo-"

"Tch… Sora- good try."

"Huh?"

"That must be a fake. I've got the real one right here!"

"Wha- TWO of them!?"

~.:*:.~

* * *

The entire endurance of her dilemma, the echoes of busy streets never waned, never died out. Ari tried to shake it off, to block out the noise. But all it seemed to do was taunt her as she tried to pry open the closest ivory door.

* * *

~.:*:.~

"Riku…? Riku- _wait_!"

~.:*:.~

* * *

"Nothing…?"

Three doors in. None would budge. Switching strategies, she ran for the doors closest to the other end of the stretch. Bypassing the loudest of the sound in the center, she covered her ears to block out the ghosts she couldn't see.

* * *

~.:*:.~

"-It doesn't matter."

"It _does_ matter. How can you two have the same memory? You can't both by right, Sora."

" _I'm_ wrong? Fine- then don't believe me!"

"That's not what he meant. We're just kinda worried."

"Then let's ask Naminé. That'll clear it up."

~.:*:.~

* * *

"Dammit, dammit… _DAMMIT_." She kicked at the fifth door she'd tried altogether. Not a single one had budged. ' _Seven more to go, Ari_ ,' she pushed her messy hair from her face, wiping away the gathering of cold sweat from her temple. ' _Stay calm. There are seven more doors to try._ '

* * *

~.:*:.~

"Sora, what happened to ya?"

"What's _that_ mean!?"

"Well, ya always get real touchy when it comes to stuff about Naminé. But, before we came to this castle, you didn't even remember what her name was."

"Now Naminé's the only thing you talk about."

"It doesn't make sense. 'nd what about Ari…? She's been gone an awful long time."

"I'm worried…"

"She…she took off on her own- that's _her_ problem!"

"Sora…"

"Maybe we oughta just slow down and think ahead about some of these things, b'fore we leap into somethin' we're not ready for."

"What is the matter with you guys!? You want me to just abandon Naminé? We're running out of time!"

"No that's not-"

"Then do whatever you want! Lay down and nap for all I care- that'll give you all the time in the world! I'm going to find Naminé!"

"Sora!"

~.:*:.~

* * *

The seventh door almost budged. And behind the eighth and ninth she heard the same ghostly echoes replicating a busy town. She was at the tenth, bent over and panting. "I'm so close…" her voice cracked. " _So close_ …"

' _Riku…Sora…hang on. Please just hang_ on _…!_ '

* * *

~.:*:.~

"What are you…saying?"

"Just that there's no one here who would want to get in your way… Just make it count."

~.:*:.~

* * *

It was the final door, almost dead center on the right-hand wall. It was heavy, she found out quickly. But it budged without need of the card. Hinges screeched under the pressure, to which Ari winced. Though it deafened the sound of ghost and memory.

The room was large, from what little she could see. Small light illuminated pockets of areas, otherwise white-wash bled into dark grays.

The door slammed behind her with the same anguishing creak that it had opened with. She threw a look over her shoulder, knowing full well that she was locked in by the sound of the loud _thud_ and echoing click of bolts setting into place. ' _You just don't want to make it easy for me._ '

She had to admit- at least the noise of busy streets had quieted since she set foot inside the corridor. So, she breathed.

* * *

~.:*:.~

"I'm not going crazy, am I…?"

~.:*:.~

* * *

Letting out an exhale, her breath hitched at the sound of-

"Is that…?"

* * *

~.:*:.~

"I…I know exactly where this is…"

~.:*:.~

* * *

She opened her eyes, frowning into the faint glow of lights leading her farther and farther in. ' _I hear…running water? Not a sink or faucet_.' She frowned into the wash of dark. "Fountains…?"

Though real or not, she was likelier to assume it was another apparition with no physical form. ' _These walls are trying to throw me,_ ' she reasoned out. ' _That's all. Nothing more than an illusion to fool the senses._ '

Eyeing the nearest source of light, Ari trekked with cautioned weight into her steps towards the point light.

* * *

~.:*:.~

"Whassup, Sora?"

"So what'cha wanna do today?"

"Hey, guys! Am I glad to see you, uh…"

~.:*:.~

* * *

She nearly tripped on shallow steps. There wasn't enough light for her to see every aspect of the floor- and the sudden dip and decline, while shallow, was enough for her to rethink how cautious she was being.

Heartbeat erratic, she took a sharp inhale and held the oxygen in her lungs. ' _Easy, Ari. Small steps. No point in rushing when you can't see two feet in front of your face_.'

* * *

~.:*:.~

"I bet you want us to take a hike so you two can be _alooone_ , huh?"

"Um…I guess."

"All right, all right. We'll disappear for awhile. Go find her, cowboy."

~.:*:.~

* * *

The light was blinding in front of her face, due to its sheer contrast to the washed out shadows otherwise drowning out the room. She winced, squinting into the light only briefly, turning her gaze towards the next small beacon. "It's lower."

Ari stepped diagonally, finding a wall behind the first light to use through touch to guide her along the way. One step. The next foot crossing over. Repeat.

The sound of running water growing steadily stronger.

* * *

~.:*:.~

"Gee, thanks for remembering me. It's been, what? A couple of hours?"

"Er…uh… Know what? Never mind. Are you okay? Are you still under Vexen's control?"

"What are you _talking_ about?"

"Vexen…?" She looked up from her book, leaning up from her perch in the bend of the Paopu tree. The sight was so familiar to him. "What's gotten into you?"

"I…I think I understand. You're the Riku and Ari from my memory."

"Sounds more like you're in the land of make-believe."

" _Seriously_. Whatever, Sora. You've been out in the sun too long. No doubt _daydreaming_ about her."

"H-hey!" But he was laughing. To which the Riku and Ari he was seeing before him echoed. It was…nice.

"Still such a kid- how're you going to take care of her if you act like that?"

"He's got a point, y'know. A real knight isn't gallivanting with imaginary apparitions, goofball."

"Oh come off it! Speaking of her-"

~.:*:.~

* * *

She was passing along walls, finding locked doors that wouldn't budge. Only a few lined the walls, but their lack of opening killed her interest quickly. The lights weren't illuminating far enough for her to see everything, but she knew damn well the lack of balance in the contrast was starting to nag at her head.

' _If I wasn't stressed before, I am no_ -'

Ari didn't catch herself as the walls and floor suddenly declined.

* * *

~.:*:.~

"Whatever it is, it can't be good. Ari- let's go warn the others!"

"Yeah, alright- before this gets worse."

"Then I should go-"

"Duh."

"We know already- it's your job to look after her."

He saw the look they shared. "Go, Sora!"

To which they vanished beyond that small bridge. But… Sora was puzzled. He could have sworn Ari's hair was…darker…

~.:*:.~

* * *

She yelped loudly the moment her thighs splashed into chilled water.

"What!?" Ari scrambled to grab what wall she could, or even railing if her luck favored her. It didn't. She found cold wall and water pouring out from openings high above her head.

She spluttered when she was engulfed by the stream of cold fountain water cascading down, tripping away from the wall and nearly falling backwards. "This…"

She whirled around, movement having slowed from her immersion. The water remained chilled. "There shouldn't be water here… There shouldn't be fountains and pipes in these walls…!"

The cold and the jolt of abnormality embraced her in ice.

* * *

~.:*:.~

"Oh no- the island!"

~.:*:.~

* * *

She stumbled, colliding with stairs and scrambling up; clawing and scraping her way until she lay sprawled on cold white flooring. Her shoes were water-logged, squelching with every shift she made. The temperature of the water was decreasing her body's at a rapid rate.

"Didn't…think I'd…feel those cold springs again…" Ari bit on a gasp, curling in on her side as she violently shuddered against the cold setting in. It was increasingly becoming harder for her to breathe. From exertion, to high stress, now a chill settling deep into her bones. ' _At least now I understand where I was hearing the running water…but…_ '

Though luck just may have decided to grace her. Her eyes squinted when they cast over the next point light- just feet from where she lay.

"Hm?"

* * *

~.:*:.~

"-. But this isn't right. I messed up. I wanted to see you… But this isn't the right way."

"Naminé?"

~.:*:.~

* * *

In the hallowed light, the same white polished stone that structured the castle's interior almost entirely…

Well, Ari could see the outline of a set of double doors glistening in the dim light.

* * *

~.:*:.~

"You… Sora, you came for me. And I'm so…so happy, but…but to your heart I had t-"

~.:*:.~

* * *

She rolled onto her knees, looking up to the shadowed doors. The color, though, was off. That was the first alteration in detail she spotted in what little light her sight could break through. The color of the polished doors were stonier- gray slate and marble. Carved to perfection. ' _For nothing else was good enough for the Gardens…_ '

As she crawled onto her feet, still sopping wet from the thighs down, she fished the card once more from her pocket. The outline of the card reflected a metallic sheen; to her bafflement it was tracing the outline of the doors as she looked up to see the same shine glimmer in a path along the double doors' edge.

"So…it's this way?" ' _Whatever_ it _is._ '

Her eyes scanned the card. Tilting it so the light reflected down onto the dark black square, she frowned. Pieces were filling in.

' _The fountains…at the base of…_ '

* * *

~.:*:.~

"Think, Sora. Think just one more time. About who's most special to you. Call out to that piece of memory, that glimmers faintly deep inside your heart. No matter how far away that light gets, your heart's voice will _always_ reach it."

"Who's…most special to me? Heh. That's an easy one. It's _you_ , Nami-"

~.:*:.~

* * *

She shoved the card into her pocket for the last time. "Only forward. Whatever's going on…well…"

' _I got myself into this mess, too. I'm not blameless._ '

She swallowed, and shoved at the doors' handles. It was heavy, but swung open for her as they pulled her deeper with a blindingly cool-colored light.

* * *

~.:*:.~

He was gasping for air. But the hulking man before him- he wouldn't lose to that. He had too much still on the line for him to give in. Riku gripped his blade tightly, breathing haggard, and readied for one last blow to the weakened " _Nobody_ " before him.

"You're finished!"

He didn't expect the sudden exertion when he went in to strike from the other. "Don't mock me!"

Or the feeling of his spine colliding with ceiling. The only thought he held onto while his vision dimmed too rapidly for him to prepare for?

' _I can't…breathe…_ '

~.:*:.~

* * *

 _ **Author's Endnote:**_

 _Confused? Good. This chapter is simply reflecting on everything going on as Ari ends up deeper locked in Castle Oblivion. Next chapter focuses back on her. I promise. (And poor Riku. Ow…)_

 _And I'm sorry I can't update once a week. :( Just too much going on. Including a minor writer's block. ;) But that will ease back. I have plenty of chapters written already, so expect an update every other Sunday! :D_

 _Much love,_

 _~ AoZ_


	8. (Piccolo Resto): Floor II

_**Disclaimer:**_

 _I own nothing but my OC(s). Everything else belongs to either Square Enix or Disney._

* * *

 **KINGDOM HEARTS: Of Days and Memories**

 _ **Piccolo Resto**_

 **Floor II**

* * *

Distant chirping came from beyond high walls. Though the sound of the river rushing both by and through the city nearly drowned them out. With an inhale, the high intensity aroma of flora invaded her nasal cavities. The air was constantly in motion, matching the pace of the busy crowds infiltrating the markets.

Weaving. Always weaving. All of them. All of it.

It was spring. Ari tucked her hands deeper in her pocket, once she'd tugged her hood up over her head. The air was chilly- not as icy as it had been when she and the others had passed through just weeks prior.

But cool and on the edge of a season, about to transfer itself into the next. From the alleyway from which she entered, she passed the walls and lost herself with surprising ease among the midday rush of shoppers. Their own white noise masking out her damp boots from the squelching clack they made along the ornate slate cobblestone.

' _Midday._ ' She surmised. ' _It's like déjà vu._ '

Most of the bystanders were adults- a few teens roughly her age. But the majority were grownups she didn't know.

She quickened her steps, twisting and dancing between people as she remastered the pathways she hadn't seen since she was a tyke. Stalls and open windows wafted the scents of spices and candles. And bread pockets loaded with steamed vegetables and fresh eggs within.

Her stomach growled, startling both herself and the passersby mingling around her. A few chuckles chased her while she pulled the hood more over her reddening face, and scurried on by them without casting her eyes their way.

Over cobblestone and stone mosaic, and down shallow stairs no more than five steps in length. She let her feet carry her down the trek, remembering the way by second nature's luck.

* * *

Down she passed between flowerbeds. Where minglers were caught talking and catching a reprieve between chores and shopping expenses. She kept to herself as she continued to weave through the crowds. The sun shone high; perhaps noon.

' _It has to be_.' She mused on the time. Though for kicks…

"Excuse me," Ari tried, pulling her hood down from over her head. Her inquiry caught the interest of a pair of teens maybe near her age- both boys. "By any chance do either of you have the time?"

The blond snorted at the puzzled frown etched onto the face of the other boy. "Yeah. 'd say 12:30."

"Thanks." She bypassed them, but suddenly stopped and looked back behind her with a deeper frown than the brunet held.

"What?" he clicked his tongue, shoving his hands into his dark denim pockets. His jacket, though, was contrived entirely of well cured leather. His wrist matched with a buckle and strap made of similar hide.

' _Leather and leather. It couldn't be…_ '

"Er…nothing," she turned around again, making quick work of distancing herself from them. Though their voices and conversation met her ears in broken chunks.

"…Huh. Never seen 'er."

"-ah. Though she looks kinda like that one girl with the red hair, don't she?"

"Tch. Which one, Strife? There are loads of 'em in this city."

"Shuddup-"

She leered without too much humor. ' _Knew it. That shaggy brown hair and love of leather gave him away. Odd seeing Cloud without such a cold gaze, though. When we met him at the Coliseum, he'd changed so much._ ' She trotted up the steps into another alley, cutting through to the bakers' quarter. ' _I've never seen so much hate stem from someone. His heart races to it. Regardless- it was a surprise to see Sora keeping pace with him for as long as he did._ '

The wafting of fresh breads and the delis along the street met her nose. Ari paused, taking in the scents. ' _I'm starving._ ' She mused and mulled, pulling her hood back up over her hair. ' _Too bad none of this is real._ '

Shifting her pack, she rummaged through its pockets. Her face falling sour when nothing could be found. ' _Not good._ '

Slinging the pack over her shoulder, she took all of five steps before movement caught her gaze from the corner of her eye. To her left, something had seemed to shift in the shadows by what her peripherals caught.

She frowned, finding nothing until-

"No way…"

A Shadow.

"You shouldn't exist in here…I haven't seen _any_ of you since that damn door was locked."

But it jerked back and forth, as a real one _should_.

Ari was left in a rut. Real? Fake? Could she take the risk?

Deciding no, when it jerked violently at an angle and another crawled out from the cracks behind it, her blade came quick with a high pitched song to her hand. Bracing, she made off at a sudden sprint towards the alcove which they were hiding down. However collision stopped her, as she rammed into a barrier she wasn't expecting.

"What!?"

Shoulder first, and head slamming second the first go round, Ari backtracked several steps- enough to where her fingers could brush over-

"A wall…?"

She tried knuckles and fists knocking over the illusion. "It's not real. Fabrication, and nothing more."

Dismissing her blade preceding to kicking at the level of the Shadow's head- nothing. No malleable substance. No collision of foot over ink flesh.

"Damn these walls," she muttered, readjusting her pack. "So how many more walls block me in?"

Really, though- she had to wonder. How many walls and doors were there to drag her in farther to the point backtracking would be nigh impossible?

* * *

Turned out, more alleyways were illusions projected by solid walls than anything else. It took a myriad of knocking until she found a door from a shopfront that gave way and allowed her passage to the lower gardens.

Intact and perfectly pristine- the waft of flora invaded her senses and set her eyes watering. ' _It's been so long, the scent is overwhelming here. Even for a memory._ '

Arm braced over her nose to soften the blow of the scent of mixed flowers, her boots tapped against the cobblestone as she trekked along. _Tap. Tap. Tap._ Fountains trickled, birds chirped. She continued along to the rhythm she knew from long ago. It was unsettling, though she wouldn't remark on it. Priority still stood- finding Riku.

Benches were empty, save for a few elderly folks, and the young couple she found at the top of the stairs; tucked away from prying eyes as they necked in otherwise privacy.

She tugged her hood, making sure it was securely fixed over her face and she tried not to eye the two too much. The girl of the pair and her giggling bristled Ari's pace, and she jogged her way until iron gates locked her out.

The rattling stifled their fun, but Ari really couldn't have cared less. Her gaze was fixed on the iron. They made the appropriate noise- but she felt her intuition was deciding it was still another wall and room beyond the gate.

Feeling their gazes digging holes into her back, Ari dared a quick peek at them and their, really, nonexistence in her real world. "What?" she frowned. "Go back to your fun. I'm not here for you."

She called on her blade, knowing well they were on their way away from her by the scuttle and scuff of their shoes over cobbled pavement and slate stairways. Satisfied with the privacy- no matter if the company had been real or not, she pulled the card again from her pocket and held it out to mirror the lock on the gate instead.

' _I've got other pressing matters that don't involve your made up fun._ '

* * *

She knew the path she was being forced to follow. She knew, because despite it all being honed into white rooms of a castle in-between nothing and everything, the path mimicked one she'd grown up traipsing for six years of her life. From infant to small child- if it wasn't her parents walking with her, it was one of the castle's best and finest.

That is, unless she'd snuck out.

Which she did, even at the age of five. Regardless…

Brown stone broken by small mosaics of slate and marble. A rounded platform. Behind her, another gate led the illusion of leading down to a central square of the city. The sound of fountains trickling along the staircase. All a trick of sight, for the gate would not budge. She knew it wouldn't. From the shadows in the garden, she saw movement that was not there. The fountains she knew to be a ploy to sell the world to her.

Ari knew that where she needed to go was up. Up the final set of steps outside the castle; leading to the main gates. Gates that were solid stone and metal, standing taller than any normal man could ever be. But smaller ones set in to the décor. The central point of the gardens- the castle she'd sworn to have known front and back by the time she was four years of age.

Her exhaled breath shook; quivering like her entire body had been doing.

' _I know this place front and back. It's been over nine years since I last saw it pristine like this._ ' She frowned, but it wasn't of discontent. Ari felt unsettled down to her core. And she could not shake the feeling, no matter how she tried to reason such a silly thing. ' _This is all a fabrication of what I remember- and nothing more._ '

She placed her right hand over her left breast, above her uneven pulse.

' _So why…am I so damn scared?_ '

* * *

~.:*:.~

"-! You found me!"

"Of course we did. We were worried about you!"

"And we promised- that we would protect you."

"'nd you won't ever be alone. We'll always stick together. And when this is over we'll go find Ari."

"And that is how it's going to stay!"

~.:*:.~

* * *

 _ **Author's Endnote:**_

 _First off- I am SO sorry this is late. Life. School. Everything has been insanely busy and stressful and I'm currently just now feeling like I can keep my head above the ridiculous amount of work. As a treat this coming weekend WILL have another update. Again, I am so incredibly sorry._

 _Secondly, I'm not at all surprised it's been confusing! If I had time I'd turn this into a graphic novel/manga to correlate alongside. Someday perhaps that will be the case. :) Until then hang on. I'll answer what questions I can!_

 _Anyway... One more down. Many more to go. Brace yourselves. The next chapter won't be happy.  
_

 _~ AoZ_


	9. (Face It): Floor II

_**Disclaimer:**_

 _I own nothing but my OC(s). Everything else belongs to either Square Enix or Disney._

* * *

 **KINGDOM HEARTS: Of Days and Memories**

 _ **Face It!**_

 **Floor II**

* * *

Corridors with high ceilings. Rooms with tall doorways leading into research labs and study rooms. The occasional congressional setups and lounges. But otherwise hallways and corridors leading deep, high, and low…

It was everything she recalled. Down to the last finesse of décor detail along paneling high and low and vases at each four-way intersection.

White coats and the pretentious air of research and eager nubile sprouts from the college came and went in slow, small increments. Castle guards in their gray-purples and grayed navy blues were chatting in alcoves or roving the halls equally in timespans.

Otherwise, the long stretches were quiet and lonely- so she found, with unease. Ari'd lowered her hood the moment eyes sharp and quick zeroed in on her and her unsettling appearance. A hooded figure? Suspicious.

Even in her smaller days, such a sight would be unwelcome in the city that radiated Light.

She did begin to reconsider showing her face, as the older faces froze in shock when she came into their line of sight. They stopped their actions, their paperwork and their discussions to see her auburn hair and blue eyes.

Ari was left uncomfortable and with the anxious feeling sinking deeper into her gut. ' _I'm not who you think, just stop…_ '

She refused to look into their eyes. ' _You're just an illusion from memory. Not real._ ' Then again- chances were likely only a small few of them made it back from the catastrophe that transpired almost ten years prior.

So she walked along the hallways. Following the main corridor, leading to another main point. More people. More whispers. She disregarded them all as she continued making her way towards the heart of the castle above ground.

* * *

Bypassing the stretch of lobbies, which preceded university lecture halls designed for the select few under a specific set of graduate programs- to which Ari could not remember their exact course of study; she was finally met between two sets of large double doors. She frowned, turning between the doors to her left, and the doors standing taller even, just ahead of her.

' _If I recall correctly, the east wing leads to the library and the accompanying studies. But ahead_ …' She frowned thoughtfully. ' _Ahead should lead to the stairwell that divides towards his chamber office and part of the lab._ '

Rather than change direction, she proceeded forward. The door clicked like the white castle's, constantly reminding her that none of it was real. While in turn, it reminded her that she was lost in a place that no one in her company knew. It also brought clarity that what she was seeing was completely false. The illusion of the gardens in and of itself was throwing her hard through a loop, so clarity and grounding she welcomed willingly.

The doors opened, the appearance not matching the click and whine that followed their movement. Hard wood did not move like marble. Heavy, but hollow in comparison of the material; grains etching deep down and creating pockets for air to settle or stir.

A hall half the width to its long length made room for a set of shallow stairs that lead up to a partial second level, where three more doorways awaited. She knew all of this- she'd traipsed them time and time again in her early years. Preferably under adult care- but equally as often she'd crept along on her own.

So to see little mini-her standing on the stairs, looking up at the doorway ahead…

Ari froze in all movement; even her breathing ceased its function.

' _Why…_ '

The placement was identical. The situation exact. From her dress to her hair- to the murmuring she heard herself mutter. Why, she had to wonder, why she was seeing _that_ memory, that _day_. She had to wonder with a small wave of fright why it halted her heartrate nearly instantaneously.

' _Why am I feeling this dread?_ '

The small girl placed both hands up, she surmised, to her mouth as they disappeared in front of her face. Her voice was prepubescent; higher in pitch and carrying the lilt of the city accent from the gardens. "'enzooo. Where are yooou?" A pause. "Ser'sly, where are you? You promised…!"

Ari knew that frustration well, as the child trotted up the rest of the stairs and disappeared on the upper level. A creak and the click of doors shutting were all she needed to know.

' _So why does the notion of pressing on instill terror in my veins…?_ '

* * *

The study was as round as she remembered, having pressed on but kept her distance from the inquisitive six year old. The others had seen her, and best to avoid confusion. ' _Even though this isn't real_.' Better to be safe than cause some type of mayhem in a situation she wasn't equipped for. Falsehood or no- the white castle would lay traps if she didn't proceed carefully.

The office was empty. As expected. ' _He'd been so busy for a while there, it was a miracle if I saw him within a twenty-four hour period_.'

Though by the looks of her small self, he wasn't who she was after as she peered around corners, and the door from where she'd traipsed. Rather, the small one crept behind the desk with quick tip-toes. _Taptaptap_ she went. A grunt, and she was shoving the heavy chair from out behind the desk; backwards until it collided with a wall. A huff, a heave- the little girl in the mint green dress she favored over half her wardrobe scrambled up into the worn leather of his seat. She peered over her shoulder the moment Ari pressed up into the shadow of a shallow row of bookcases.

She saw nothing to deter her advancement, and turned back to the wall next to the locked door.

' _Wait…no…_ '

She found the contraption, sending a chill down Ari's spine.

' _I know what you're doing- don't!_ '

A keypad emerged from the wall- a bypass to the fingerprint scanner she'd seen them use countless times before when in a hurry.

The softest beeps of the digital pad as the child inputted the code. ' _8394._ ' She knew it by heart still, nearly a decade later.

Satisfied by the click of the internal locks tumbling, the girl giggled and hopped down from the chair. "Come out come out wherever you are 'enzo. Can't hide from me forever!"

Her older counterpart remained behind by the concealment of shadow, face ashen and arms trembling.

"W-wait…don't. Don't go in there… Don't do it!"

The child paused midway through the door, as if she'd heard her call. But Ari felt dread fill her gut to the brim as the child shrugged and marched along down the suspended metal platform joining the laboratory to Ansem's study.

* * *

It was when the girl made it past midway over the suspension, that Ari's legs came back to life and sprinted after the child. "Don't do it!"

To which the girl never heard her. She continued along, marching with a six year old's determination. "'enzo come ooon. You've been in here for…" her speaking slurred and paused as she rounded the corner, coming to the entry to the top of the lab; housing the main computer system for it. "…hours…" her voice squeaked out.

Ari skidded to a stop behind her younger self on the last syllable. An audible gasp came from the smaller, and searing pain racked through the older's body; stemming from where her heart stuttered on uneven beats.

The air distorted around her, blending memory and clarity to create a wave of hazes around her. "No, not this…" she hissed, grabbing at the side of her head. "Not this…not them…"

~.:*:.~

Three bodies, one of which still gasping weakly, lying splayed across the cold metal floor. Dark tendrils leaking from their chests, blood dripping from mouth and over their sides. Even was already gone. Lifeless. Braig was haggard on his breathing, any speech slurred and drowned by his own blood as it continued to pool up from his throat. And Ienzo…barely alive, his little body almost entirely still- save for the very eyes that matched hers in hue. Her voice had called him, in his fading state; called his attention to his little sister. He twitched, head shifting as Darkness continued to build and stem from his chest cavity. His visible eye zeroed in on hers. "R'n…" it was garbled.

Down at the other end of the room, his back was turned to her. But the sound of hoarse whispers behind him, and the man turned. White hair in contrast to a deep tan on his flesh. And what had been brown eyes, were drowning in gold.

Her heart entirely stopped its beating as his eyes focused only on her.

"Well, well," something about the pitch of his voice had changed. And it still made her cold, just the sound of his lazy lilt.

He stepped. One. Another. Left. Right. Left. Though his approach bypassed Even, and he ignored the dying child on the floor. Rather, his approach came to a halt at choking guard's side. He crouched, grabbing the handkerchief Braig always wore around his neck. The man in the white coat chuckled, after a beat, and used his other hand to pull away the eyepatch covering Braig's damaged eye. How that one had happened, no one knew. He went from having two sharp eyes, to suddenly incapacitated and having trouble with his depth perception.

"You're not yet gone, so why couldn't you mention we had a guest at our door?" He dropped the guard, ignoring the splatter of blood from his coughing splotching the sleeve of his lab coat.

"Little song, what are you doing here?" He stepped over Braig's convulsing body. Step by step. Strong, slow, and deliberate. But she couldn't look away from those gold eyes he wore too perfectly. "Little one, you should be outside. It's not raining today. Where are your friends?"

He crouched, when two feet separated them, and knelt down to eye level. He raked to fingers, delicate, as he took a few strands of her curled auburn hair. "Little girl, where are they now?"

"'ri, _r'n_."

And it clicked. Everything clicked at the sound of her brother's last plea. She shoved him off of her and ran- sprinting back the way she'd come.

His hollow chuckling blended with her screams.

* * *

The air continued to pulse, pounding down on her in savage rhythms and aggression to the point that her steps were messy and sluggish between assaults. But moving she continued to do- running as she pushed to keep _going_.

With every violent tremor in the air, her vision distorted. Ari could no longer discern between herself then and herself now. She was trapped in the same loop, same cycle of events, that had led to her arrival to the islands. ' _I won't relive this, I can't do this again!_ '

So she continued to sprint. Between the figure of six years old and a nearing sixteen year old- she fumbled over tile and carpet and worried murmurs at the sound of her six year old voice wailing for them to " _run_!"

Erratic rhythms, her steps constantly changing from quick and hurried to sluggish and heavy. She could hear her breathing above the murmurs and her crying. It was heavy like large drums. _Boom_. _Boom_ …

 _Boom._

When her weight shifted unevenly, and her body started to fall forward, a pair of large hands and a dry " _hmph_ " followed suit, her eyes widened when they gazed upwards to find two of the top guards looking down at her inquiringly. Aeleus, with his towering form and hard face, eyed her with kinder eyes than his partner Dilan. The latter had scoffed, and held subtle accusation for her and her echoing wailing.

"Arina…?"

She could hear herself sniffle, while she also heard herself struggling to breathe. Her mouth moved of its own accord, and she could no longer control her actions.

"I-it-it's…he got them…he took my b-brother…!"

"Ienzo?" Dilan interjected. "What happened to the boy?"

"Easy now kiddo," Aeleus tried his hand again to calm her sobbing. "What happened?"

"He got my brother!" she heard her voice wail. "He's gone. Even too…"

Aeleus and Dilan shared a look, both frowning deeply at what the child was telling them. Dilan took two steps closer, crouching down. " _Who_?"

She saw her reflection in their eyes, how her eyes widened unbelievably large; whites showing and pupils retracting. "X-X…Xe…"

"We need to know, Ari-"

" _Now_."

Her voice cracked, tongue feeling like lead in her mouth. "X-Xeh-ah…"

Another look shared between the two men. Both frowning. "Xehanort."

She winced at the name, both then and in the present. Her voice having escaped her, she could do nothing as she had back then, as Aeleus placed his hand in her auburn hair. Giving her a soft pat, he stood again with Dilan. Both men gazed down the corridors from where she'd come sprinting from; both frowning with otherwise stone-still faces.

"Wait here, kiddo." Aeleus instructed.

"We'll be rid of this nonsense momentarily." Dilan brushed off nonchalantly, as was his demeanor.

And all Ari could do, was watch them walk away from her _again_. Their backs departing farther and farther. The last memory she'd ever have of them, imprinted in her memory.

She knew what followed. And her heart felt icy cold as it pounded hard against the bones of her ribcage.

* * *

Time proceeded, to which she was prisoner to her younger self. Of who, waited as the two guards had commanded of her. But Ari knew what followed- and right on schedule, it did.

Shadows. Or, perhaps just one. It was moving, and it took a moment or two for her sharp young eyes to see it. She rubbed at them after she saw it shift in the shadows of the lobby-like hall. It danced after a moment- jerking movements hither and thither as it moved to a rhythm only it could move to and comprehend.

And then, its beady golden eyes scourging the shadows; mouth dripping with its own matter- _Darkness_. Two more sets of eyes peered around corners and obstructions, eyes setting on the youthful heart of the girl.

Ari felt her pulse echo that of her younger self's when the first Shadow lunged forward. It's claws etched her skin lightly; she kicked it off of her as soon as her back collided with the ground.

Screaming, she ran. The Shadows pursued. Neoshadows calling in the distance at whatever noise the smaller Shadows made.

Ari knew their tones. For months, she'd had to distinguish noises, calls, and sounds of varying movements.

Her small form ran, the pulsing of the air wrapping around her again. Older? Younger? It didn't matter as doors opened to more corridors. Up a series of stairs; _up, up up_. Winding passages, outside corridors. She knew the routes she was running along. Another set of stairs, spiraling downwards though, met her at the end of an outer corridor. Skidding like she had back then, adding another bruise to the scrapes along her legs, she scrambled down. Down, to the archway, leading to a separate tower-like structure that was housed behind the castle's dominating architecture.

An archway over the bridge; etched intricately depicting script long forgotten with god-like creatures covering it from bottom to its arching centerpiece. The shadows moved behind her, gathering slowly as they pursued her Heart.

But she pressed on, gasping and tripping and righting herself again as she sprinted down the path towards the chapel's doors. Particles of Light trailing in and around the tower- a first floor structure with ceilings and rafters reaching high into the sky.

' _Mama said that this place was '_ holy _'._ ' She heard her thoughts from then murmur through her own head and heart. ' _I don't know where else to go…!_ '

And even in the present, she hadn't a clue.

Her small hands reached, and she leaped for the ring of the door's handle. With the adrenaline coursing through her small body, she yanked it open and dove inside, yanking the door closed as clawed hands and appendages made to grab her again.

She could feel the aches from those wounds, flickering between child and teen in her form as memory fought the present for dominant control again.

Screeching came from outside, unsettling her then as it had before. Wrapping her arms around her torso in both forms, she peered behind her. Scratching and wailing erupted outside, followed by perfectly timed silence.

Particles of Light danced as they had, some coming in closer, others drifting through the air of their own accord. Gardens and fountains; a trickling stream. The entire place was a sanctuary. A place to grieve, a place to seek guidance. ' _It's strange how the dead bring comfort over those things_.' Both of her voices murmured in thought.

The sky dimmed, her eyes flicking up to one of the high set windows not entirely comprised of stained glass. Through the clear material, she could see violet clouds forming, mixing with plum and orange as the sky was overcome by a storm unlike any other.

She took another step in deeper. And another following that. Mosaic formed by pretty stones, painting the way to a circle of marble benches and a pool of crystal-clear water, housing a growing young tree in its center. More steps in, and her eyes never leaving the clear glass of the window.

She was three feet from the opening to the sacred circle, when his voice cut in.

"A wonder, is this place. Untouched by the Dark; but a place inhabited by death. Tell me, child. Did you think you'd be safe here?"

She whirled around. Darker skin, gold eyes. Pale hair bordering between silver gray and snowy white. Her face paled at the sight of him. Heart stuttering, she dared to move backwards, keeping him in her line of vision.

His growing grin was calm. He had all the time in the world, by the lax in his facial muscles. "For death awaits you not. But one must wonder," and he began his approach. Predatory. Domineering.

She was only a child. A whimper escaped her throat. And he heard it; grin growing at her fear.

"Can you withstand what I will put you through? You were chosen. But are you worthy? I'll decide that."

Her back met a pole, indicating the entry to the circle. He knelt before her, nearly touching noses. All that she found in her scope, were gold eyes flecked by amber and dying brown.

There was no soul within, to give rise to sympathy or empathy.

"Just how strong is his successor?"

The shadows moved in, glass smashing from outside-in as they came to his silent call- the moment his fingers wrapped around her throat.

And something inside her shattered. Then and there. Searing pain enveloped her from within. She was no longer six. Ari was fifteen and she was buckled in on herself. Hands over ears, she was trembling.

And all she could do, was let loose a bloodcurdling scream.

* * *

~.:*:.~

"Who was it?" He had to wonder. "Who's most important to me?"

In his hand, he held a star-shaped charm, entirely put together with sailor's yarn and Thalassa shells. Each detail, down to the spikey hair and cheeky grin carefully etched onto it, he mapped it all. But Sora could find no trace of her in his memory. And so, he shook his head.

"Nothing…"

Donald and Goofy turned back to him as he pocketed the charm again.

"You okay, Sora?"

"Ye-," he began, but stopped. He frowned; a trembling hand suddenly clutching at his heart. His eyes raised upwards, as a scream resonated in his heart. "Ari…?"

~.:*:.~

* * *

~.:*:.~

He could barely stand, let alone see straight. It took all of his effort, and then some, to push up and brace his weight as he tried to stand again. But he buckled, falling to a knee and fingers kissing the floor. Grunting, he spat to the side; a mixture of saliva and blood marring the white-white floors.

Riku turned his head, grimacing at the pain shooting through his skull with every movement. "The king," he tested his tongue. So far, so good. "He…protected me."

Taking a slow breath, he tried again. Pushing slow and steady, his legs bore his weight better the second time around.

"Your Majesty…" he tried, voice growing louder despite the pain from cracked ribs. "Where are you?" His voice started to echo with its growing resonance. "Please answer!"

There was no sign of the small king, nor were there any responses.

He was entirely alone.

Gingerly, and resigned with that, he placed his fingers over his heart. "You're with me…in here, aren't you?"

He could accept that. A fragile smile pulling at his lips.

His legs buckled, and he allowed himself the long reprieve as he sank back to the ground. He was in pain, and he didn't have the equipment to fully restore his mana or his energy. And he was low on any healing remedies.

But he'd be fine. He'd press on. He had to.

And then, he felt it. Out of nowhere, it came upon him like a cold sheet in winter. Something felt _wrong_. His heart murmured, quivering as it resonated to another's hurt.

Riku's tired eyes shot up to the ceiling when he felt her scream run his blood icy cold. "Ari…"

~.:*:.~

* * *

 _ **Author's Endnote:**_

 _As promised, it's here! Not perfect, but then nothing is._

 _So here we have it! Not so happy, no? Poor girl…_

 _~ AoZ_


	10. (Naminé?): Floor II, ?

_**Disclaimer:**_

 _I own nothing but my OC(s). Everything else belongs to either Square Enix or Disney._

* * *

 **KINGDOM HEARTS: Of Days and Memories**

 _ **Naminé…?**_

 **Floor II**

* * *

And all she could do, was let loose a bloodcurdling scream.

* * *

~.:*:.~

"Then…we should make a promise?"

He was met with dual " _huh_ " to his suggestion. Goofy rubbed his nose. "What you said back there…kinda got my brain a-thinkin'. Whenever you make a promise that's super-duper big, maybe it gives you courage to face the scary stuff!"

"Courage…" Sora mulled it over, eyes gazing to the white ceiling above. Something crossed his face; a gleam of understanding.

Donald fed off his understanding and renewed energy. "Yeah- let's do it!" He held out a feathered hand for his companions; palm down. "Even if we get scared, or in trouble- or even if we get separated-"

Goofy placed his hand on top of the duck's with an added interjection. "-or even if we sorta forget each other."

Sora's ashen face held the glow of rebirthed energy and motivation. "Whatever happens. We're friends."

When the boy's hand came crashing down with his energized determination, Donald grinned too. "All for one, and one for all."

But Sora still had that nagging feeling. Something was amiss. Goofy had reassured that they'd retreat to find Ari, when the way was open again; without Marluxia to block their route again. But he could not shake the dread making its home in the pit of his stomach.

He couldn't rid himself of the feeling that his childhood friend was in deep trouble.

With the other two ahead, he slammed a fist against a décor pillar. While it was unmarred, his tension exuded some.

' _I'll find ya, Ari. I won't leave you behind in this place._ '

~.:*:.~

* * *

The illusion, in part, had broken from memory after a time. But it all remained mashed together in her clouded mind. Curled unto herself in a corner, she was racked by sobs triggered by memory after memory. All plagued by yellow eyes and apathetic grins. Of Ienzo's last hoarse plea for her to flee, of Even choking as his life force snuffed out. Of the image of Dilan and Aeleus walking away, their backs facing her as their statures shrank with the growth of distance.

She pressed her eyes deeper into her knees, sobbing again as the images plagued her.

 _Of the gardens swarming with moving shadows. Of the distant screams as the grounds were overrun._

Of cold fingers brushing over her face and neck. A smooth voice cooing such cruel words. The grip crushing her windpipe as more screams and the maddening sound of a frantic city echoed back distantly to the chapel he'd trapped her in.

She shuddered violently.

' _And I could never utter the word. '_ Why _'…_ ' She felt sick to her stomach, the acid churning as her nerves clenched tighter throughout her body.

The sound of the screeching of Heartless and the rampage over the city continued to dance over the walls, surrounding and drowning her in vivid imagery of her mind's eye. It was all too familiar still, even after having been locked away for nigh a decade.

Ari stumbled from her knees, pounding again on a door that wouldn't budge. For whatever reason, once she'd found the out-of-place white stone, her card didn't react. ' _It was a trap to lure me in,_ ' she'd mulled at the time, thoughts scattered and slow as everything beat around her.

The second time, she pressed forward, kneeled and heavy and limbs barely responding to the signals her brain was sending by message. But one fist collided against the stone, other arm acting as a brace to hold her head somewhat upright. Another collision. And she choked on a cry. " _Somebody…_!"

Her body finally gave out, side crashing to the floor and third fist missing the door entirely. She grunted as her ribs met the cold, hard floor, curling in onto herself when another wave of hysteria erupted. "Don't leave me t-trapped in here…"

A desperate plea. One she was unsure, later down the line, if it became her saving grace.

She didn't know how long it was between, but the sound of gears clicking brought her reddened eyes up in surprise to the door barring her from escape.

A silence followed, and then the shadows dissipated in a blinding light. Unlike the other doors of the castle, this one did not just open. It _vanished_.

Blinded, she barred her forearms against her eyes to protect her retinas from permanent damage. Caught among confusion, Ari remained paused in her protective cocoon on herself. Until a voice, aged and bitter, brought her widened eyes out from hiding.

"Such a state you're in. It's unfathomable someone such as _you_ has found yourself so broken."

Her tongue had turned to lead the moment his own articulate one had crafted words just as well as he'd done long ago.

"Come, then. We've no time to waste." Neither cruel nor kind.

She scrambled, knees falling as her legs had to remember to bear her weight again. And follow him she did, back into halls of white where she'd welcome the emptiness of their labyrinth than the cruelty of her memories.

* * *

 **? (Unknown Floor)**

* * *

~.:*:.~

"But…can you face him?"

Riku had to put more might than he thought into restraining the growl wanting to escape from deep within his chest. This… _man_ , or something, before him was running riddles around his head. "What do you mean by that?"

"The essence of untamed Darkness feeds away at Ansem's shadow, which nestles deep inside your heart. Do you honestly plan to face Sora in this state? Are you not ashamed?"

Riku had to turn his gaze away from the one sole eye not obscured by slate-gray hair. It unnerved him, that color. Almost as if…

 _No_. He shook his head, frown creasing while he clenched both fists.

The other continued, face neutral but words a poison on his silver tongue. "Sora's fate is to battle the Darkness. By that law, he must appose anyone who hosts the Dark. In other words, _you_."

He was satisfied at the wince the teen shuddered through. He grinned, a smug peel of lips over white teeth. "Not to mention you're a toxin to the other bearer. It's unheard of for a bearer to remain in limbo- between the Light and the Dark. By keeping you out of the equation, she cannot drown by your toxin." His grin shattered into a piercing gaze. "Your entire existence is nothing but a parasite. But if you don't believe the words I say," from his sleeve, a card fell into place between his right middle and index fingers. And he tossed it with precision towards the boy. "Then you had best get going, and see the truth with your own eyes."

Riku fumbled after catching the card, eyes widening with brown furrowing at the image depicted. "Th-this card…! No way…this is our-"

The slate haired young man nodded once; slowly. "Yes," his way of speaking was precise and equally matched the pace of his rising gaze on the adolescent. "It is your home."

Riku grimaced after his departure into Darkness; eyes casting downwards again to the card he held in hand. ' _I'm…I'm not some parasitic_ thing _. I won't deter them- not again._ '

~.:*:.~

* * *

He'd led, she followed. In silence, save for the sound of their shoes scuffing against the polished floors. His stride tall and dignified, stiff with purpose. Hers was clumsy and focused solely on keeping up with his lengthy pace.

Step. After step. After step.

Finally his voice bounced between white walls and white ceilings, bringing her gaze to snap upwards on the red bindings wrapped around all but one amber eye.

His gaze was sharp, his words giving away nothing but purpose. "You are to meet and wait with a young girl ahead. You're in need of rest, and I've no time to sit around whilst the other bearer wanders these walls lost."

She was perplexed. "Other…?"

"In that room to which you came to be captive, you did not feel the foundation of this citadel quake. The…'caretaker', if you will, has been felled by your friend. However, something transpired in which he's now no longer able to function as he had been prior." He turned away from her confused frown, nonchalant in his walk as they continued to pass through halls. "The other once drifting in Darkness has found his way here. And while you've been reacquired from your prison, he's still lost as he searches aimlessly."

She stopped her pace, staring at his robed backside as he approached a set of double doors much like the ones she'd become used to in every stretch of hall she traipsed through alone. "That…what do you me-"

"Now is not the time to be asking questions." His tone was sharp. "For now, please continue inside. She will answer everything as I pick up the pieces of this mess."

Ari knew he wasn't being unkind. But no less did she feel any better. Rather than argue, as much as the thought enticed her, she wrapped her arms tighter around her abdomen and hurried inside at a quick little trot when he beckoned her to proceed ahead of him.

' _Riku…Sora… Donald and Goofy and Jiminy, too. What happened…?_ '

Her heart murmured with a cold shudder.

' _What do I do?_ '

* * *

Dim lighting, off-white walls. Down a shallow staircase, an archway lacking any door to bar her way and light washing outwards from the frame. The man and the girl continued on in silence; he following behind. Down the hall, and down the steps. Down down _down_ , that's all she was beginning to recognize. And when they came through the archway, pain seared her eyes. The light washing through blinded her corneas as it pierced the dim contrast she'd become used to for the stretch.

Behind her, she heard him hum in thought, as his eye came to faster than her own sight could. ' _He's gone through these halls, and this room, before._ ' She mulled, wincing as she tried to look back at him. Vaguely, the browns and reds of his garb pulled through against the whitewash around them. But his gaze fell not on her, but what was within the room that he was focused on bringing her to see.

"Well?" his voice was curt. "The prognosis?"

A shy voice answered him with hesitation lilting her speech. "He's just gone to sleep. They…all have."

She turned to the location of the voice. And through the adjustment her pupils dilated to, she saw the slim little form of…a girl? Younger than she, and dainty in structure. Ari gasped, when her eyes were locked onto those of the other.

Ari backstepped once, at the trap those blue irises pinned her in. "Who…?"

The girl clutched her fingers together, eyes suddenly darting away. "My…my name is-"

"Unimportant at this time. Sora and the others are safe then, I take it?"

The girl flinched, meeting the man's gaze timidly. "Y-yes. They're safe and sound in these pods you built. They're working flawlessly so far. But I won't…won't know much else until after I deconstruct the chains in their memories that-"

"Very well," he brushed off. Placing a hand on Ari's shoulder, he leaned down to her height. "This is the one I wished you to speak to. She will bring you up to date on the current situation." He briskly turned away, waving off the pale child and the teenager as he marched away at the same intent pace he'd used when guiding Ari down the halls of the castle to the chambers he planned to leave her in. "If you'll excuse me- there is one more tool to recover before he, too, becomes unusable."

Ari, though frowning, her gaze softened when she turned her attention away from the disappearing form from the shadows. The other girl, she noted, seemed to shy away, avoiding her eyes as she nervously shifted her fingers over her knuckles in rotations.

The older veered her eyes to the large mechanism standing high in the center of the whitewashed room. ' _Is that the pod she meant?_ ' She wondered, tucking her hands into her hoodie's pocket and noting the wires both connecting on the top from the ceiling, and through the root of the flooring.

When she did pry her eyes from the machine, she noticed the other girl shyly watching her; as if waiting for punishment or anger to come lashing her way from the older girl.

Ari took a breath, and sighed tiredly. She offered a half smile, surprising the little blonde. "Perhaps you could tell me your name, now?"

The other was perplexed, to her small amusement. "He's gone," she beckoned back towards the archway leading up the darkened stairway with a nod of her head. "I doubt he'll be back anytime soon." Her smile pulled a little wider.

Letting loose a breath Ari suspected she was holding for quite the time, the girl nodded once to the request. "My name…it's Naminé."

"Naminé?" Ari tested on her tongue. ' _So that's who you are…_ ' She nodded once, accepting the persona of the name she didn't know in grace. "Alright then, Naminé. I get the feeling you already know my name…?"

She nodded, letting go of her knuckles, clasping her wrists instead behind her back. "Your preferred name is Ari- but I do know your full name." Her smile was small, at that. "Arina."

Ari let a dry chuckle break, nodding at the other. "Knew it." Her gaze shifted, again, to the pod standing high and wide behind the little blonde. The humor fell, and Naminé turned away when their eye contact broke. Ari licked her cracked lips. "Think…you can fill me in now?"

"Of…of course." She noticed Naminé flinch again. "Please…will you come this way? And…and not judge me until I tell you the full story?"

Ari nodded, taking careful strides until she stood side by side by the girl. She looked down into her irises; the color so similar to _hers_ it was perplexing. "Deal."

* * *

The pads of her fingers pressed just as firmly as the palm of her hand; spreading over the opaque glass. Her eyes watched the face of the sleeping boy- oblivious to everything transpiring around him. In a smaller chamber, Naminé had shown her the passage, Donald and Goofy slept soundly, too.

"I see…" Ari murmured. "So that's what happened." It made sense. Why Sora's behavior had become erratic the one reunion they'd shared, before she'd made the decision to hunt for Riku in the lower halls. "But what I don't understand is this- why not _my_ memory?"

Her eyes flicked to the girl, who had lowered her own gaze down to her sandaled feet. The younger bit her lip. "I…didn't want to erase any trail. The…Organization was never after you. You were my insurance, I suppose." She looked up, finding reprieve in no scolding emanating from the other. She pressed on. "Sora's memory, because of who and _what_ I am, is easy for me to manipulate. However, you are tied to the person I stem from…in a sense."

"A 'Nobody'," Ari mulled. "That…makes sense." She looked aback to the sleeping boy. "You feel like her. I was taken aback, when I first cast you in my line of vision." She laughed softly, turning back to the girl with a hallowed smile. "So lemme try to piece your logic together. I wasn't directly easy to disassemble via memory. And your hopes were that before Sora encountered this… _Marluxia_ , he and I would cross paths again and everything you dismantled in him might bring itself at least a little closer to the surface. Do I have it?"

Naminé's eyes brightened, a gasp escaping her abruptly. She smiled, nodding vigorously. "Yes! Because you are Kairi's cousin, you may have triggered some of the damage I'd done to dismantle itself. I never put any hint of you in the replica of Riku, too, in greater hopes that Sora would find it suspicious that this 'Riku' didn't acknowledge any recognition of you. I covered my tracks…and I used you as my one hopeful trump in all the damage I'd caused. However…" She tapped at her lip with her left index finger. "You behaved in a way I hadn't quite predicted. Rather than proceed or take another alcove of stairs up- you decided to pursue after the tug you felt from Riku's heart. Rather than return to Sora's side…you chose to find your way to Riku's, instead." Her smile was soft. "It might have been for the better, this way… I'm not sure how Marluxia would have behaved." She frowned. "That's…why you were given that card. It was meant to build itself off the memories you shared of that place, from when you were small. If nothing else, to keep you out of the way."

"Well," Ari clicked her tongue, scowling at the glass under her touch absentmindedly. "It worked."

"Yes…but at least you're still alive."

She turned to the smaller girl, quirking a brow.

Naminé's gaze held a steadiness Ari was surprised such a small girl could powerfully utilize. "If they knew just how dangerous you were to their plans, they'd have made it a priority to dispose of you."

She felt sick, though she was pretty sure her face didn't reveal the notion. Rather, she feigned to take what Naminé said in stride. "Then…what happens now?"

The blonde turned, then, to the boy asleep inside his glass cocoon. "We wait for Riku to find his way. He has a choice to make. And we're at a standstill until he makes that decision."

* * *

 _ **Author's Endnote:**_

 _First of all, let me apologize for the weeks of silence. School became chaotic, tacked on with depression and preparation for my graduation. As consolation for the delay (btw I_ did _graduate from college! As of December 10_ _th_ _:)) I'm posting four chapters today. I still might be a bit slow in posting weekly updates, but I'm back to work (kinda, still finishing up Final Fantasy XV)._

 _So expect four chapters today!_

 _I think I'll leave this chapter here. Thank you for sticking through! We're getting close to the end of Castle Oblivion._

 _~ AoZ_


	11. (La Pace): Floor ?

_**Disclaimer:**_

 _I own nothing but my OC(s). Everything else belongs to either Square Enix or Disney._

* * *

 **KINGDOM HEARTS: Of Days and Memories**

 _ **La Pace**_

 **Floor ?**

* * *

~.:*:.~

It was all so surreal. Almost real. _Almost_. But it didn't taste quite right, or smell quite the same. Almost. But not quite.

With one knee propped, heel digging into the Paopu tree, and arm resting on the angled thigh- Riku watched the clouds in the distance with a matching linger cast over his eyes. "I never thought I'd miss the island winds so much…"

It may not have been real, but he'd take a convincing replication if it meant a brief respite.

He paused, inhaling and suddenly exhaling with a " _hmph_ ". He rotated his neck, popping the vertebrae. "At one point I couldn't _wait_ to get off this damned rock. Now I'm acting all relieved?"

He braced both hands, and propelled forward, landing in a crouch through muscle memory. "Tch. Who am I to enjoy what I threw away?"

He proceeded to rotate his shoulder blades, turning on the balls of his feet. In the midst of his stretch, his eyes caught colors he'd known anywhere. "Is that…?"

His shoes skidded over the soft, white sand. A weak grin stretched by relief pulling at his mouth. He chuckled on a held exhale. "What's with you guys?" He stretched back up to standing. "I don't think I've ever seen the three of you so quiet."

Their eyes fell on him. Wakka's. Then Tidus'. Selphie, though, kept her eyes set on the clouds just kissing above the horizon. Flitting with every movement they made.

His sudden frown was puzzled. "What? Is there something on my face…?"

But they never did respond. A gasp racked him when light engulfed each of his friends, softly; all traces of them gone save for their toys of choice once the glow had diminished.

"Guys!?"

~.:*:.~

* * *

The flicker of lights, pulsing as the machine itself whirred and continued its set prerogative. Her eyes mapped the pattern to which it passed at the backside of the pod; the same area that Naminé held her working station. A small desk, and an equally small little chair close to the ground in proximity. The girl sketched away, but from within the confines of the heavy blanket Ari found herself cloaked in, she didn't pay the blonde much mind.

' _He's outdone himself. A pod to keep him asleep as well as healthy? I'll have to inquire of him just how he managed this design later down the line._ '

She pulled the wool closer. She'd been surprised, humbled possibly too, when Naminé had draped the material around her shoulders.

"For the damp chill you've got," she'd stated simply with that small little smile of hers that knew more than she'd ever utter aloud.

She was, Ari had concluded after that, a spectacle in her own right.

Yet she didn't pay her much mind, beyond that one conversation regarding everything that had happened to land Sora and the rest in the pods from which they would remain in slumber until their memories were restored.

Her fingers were delicate in how they pressed against the glass barring her from the wires and pulsing lights along the pod's backside. "Funny." She mused. Naminé stilled beside her. "No one remembers them, or they won't very soon. But here I am, still recollecting our entire childhood growing up together. As well as the entire spontaneity of our meeting Donald and Goofy."

She gave the little blonde a broken grin. "We'll be the only ones who know the truth…for the time being, anyway. A little white witch, a dark hero lacking in confidence…and me- whatever _I_ am, now." Her voice was hollow.

"Don't say that," Naminé protested. "We can handle the storm that's coming. You and Riku? You two can handle what's to come. Just as I'll work diligently to undo the mess I've made."

"Easier said than done." ' _I'm feeling hollow._ ' Ari's fingers tensed, curling into a fist that lightly smacked at the pod's backside. "I honestly hope you're right, Naminé. I honestly hope you're right."

* * *

~.:*:.~

He'd made his way over the entire island…or, well- the entire replication based from the card. Riku jogged across the bridge, slowing as he reached the slope to the lone piece of land housing the Paopu tree. He stopped, skidding over wood planks- hunching over to catch his breath.

A scent. A feeling. He whipped around, suddenly upright. Finding the small figure of Kairi smiling at him from the midway point of the bridge.

"Kairi…" He breathed. "Hey, Kair-"

Riku gasped as light engulfed her, she too vanishing as Wakka and the others had before. Anyone he knew, was vanishing before he could reach them.

And then…there was _she_.

Standing feet behind where Kairi had stood, the image of Ari's backside was apparent as the noon sun. He couldn't _breathe_.

He stumbled. The figure seemed to hear that- the only reaction he'd managed from any of them. But as the girl turned around, she too vanished before he could reach out for her- make contact to his other best friend.

"No… _No_!" he cringed, shaking his head. ' _None of it's real. This place is just messing with my head._ '

"Surely," the voice comprised of silver and gold sounded behind him. And Riku turned to meet the identical blue eyes of someone he'd grown up with. But they weren't _hers_.

"Surely," the 'Nobody' spoke again. "You _knew_ this would happen."

~.:*:.~

* * *

The smaller girl had vacated, having said she had something to attend to. But with a small smile, she promised to return soon.

Ari's forehead pressed to the glass of Sora's slumber-pod. The blanket still wrapped around her slouched frame, she sat on her knees with forearm and head pressed against the cool, smooth material.

Hours had passed, at least. Perhaps even days. Time was nonexistent inbetween walls of white. She'd lost track. She felt empty, alone…and in pain. Variations of pain. Grief for what had happened to Sora. Aches from pressing on with little rest between. Fear at what may come to pass over Riku. And…anguish in the erratic thrum of her heart's beat. Since she'd been imprisoned in that one room, forced to endure memory after memory of the day her birth home was overrun by Darkness, Ari's heart no longer felt well. It didn't feel _right_.

' _They did something to me._ ' She knew it, pulling the blanket in her clutch closer to her clothed breast. ' _Something's wrong. I just can't figure out what._ '

Tacking on the waiting game of Riku's whereabouts, Ari was left stalemate. ' _I can feel you…barely._ ' She frowned, reaching with the crevices of her heart that still worked to function properly. ' _I'm just not sure where… Oh?_ '

Maybe it was him reaching out too. But she felt his pulse; the rhythm that was solely _his_.

A broken smile breaching the exhaustion lacing her face. ' _There you are…_ '

And so was another. Masked in Light, but no pulse like theirs. She had to frown. They still felt familiar, behind the Darkness and behind the Light.

' _I know you…don't I?_ '

Her eyes shot open when Riku's heart thrashed in pain.

* * *

~.:*:.~

He was enshrouded by blinding pain; white hot and determined, he assumed, to devour him down to the core.

Yet that voice…similar but not quite… What had she said?

" _You won't fade._ "

That's right.

A wave of cool washed over him, even as he drifted down. When the pain was mitigated, Riku cracked an eye open. Vision bleary, he could still make out that mop of short red hair anywhere. "Kairi…"

The girl giggled softly, her smile matching her tone. "You can't fade here, Riku. Do you know why that is?"

"I've a feeling…you're about to tell me."

Her eyes gleamed brightly. "There is no power that can defeat you- if they stem from either the Light or the Dark."

Her smile remained gentle and small, but honest, when he frowned through the blinding haze of white. "So you shouldn't run from the Light. Neither should you fear the Darkness."

"Why…?"

Her giggle. "Because _both_ can and will, make you stronger."

It was too good to be true. "H-how…?"

"Yeah." Her hands remained clasped behind her back. "Both have been ingrained, deep into your veins. Because of this, they're now at your disposal. The Darkness you worry about- it's vast and rooted deep into your heart. However- if you can truly stare into it without looking away, your fear will subside. Make sense?"

' _By harnessing it, I…_ '

She nodded.

"All this time," he mused, eyes sliding closed. "I've tried…to push the Darkness away."

"You've gotta just remember to be brave. Know that the Darkness is there, and don't succumb to it. Once you've done just that, you will acquire a strength unlike any other. You will be able to escape the deepest Darkness-"

"-and I'll be able to see through the brightest Light." He liked the sound of that, a bare and hopeful smile almost curling his lips.

"Follow the Darkness. It'll show you the way to your friends."

What hope of a smile he was managing, shattered.

~.:*:.~

* * *

' _So that's where you went._ ' Ari's dried vocal chords cracked around a soft chuckle. "Clever little witch, indeed."

However, she couldn't pull away- not yet. The wavering fluctuation in Riku's heart held her attention. He was still scared. Of his own heart. Of facing his friends. She could feel it as it shrank back from Naminé's masked coaxing.

' _Hang in there, Riku…hang in there. I'm right here. Just hang on a little longer._ '

* * *

~.:*:.~

"You don't want to?"

A double vision. He'd known. For the most part, he'd been aware. The way her lips smiled. And the brightness in her eyes. They never quite met Kairi's splay. But the scent he could almost taste- they were almost _identical_.

"You know I do…of course I do…"

She seemed satisfied, slipping away into the mist that still held him in its cocoon.

Except, it didn't. When he opened his eyes, Riku stood on solid…ground. Or something. He was crouched, elbows on knees and right fist clenched. ' _I've no choice. But I won't let it continue to imprison me! I won't!_ '

"I will see them. I'll make my way to them- with this strength that is mine and mine alone!"

Darkness washed over him, attaching to him like a second skin. But he was calm. _So calm_.

"That's what I like to hear."

He whirled around, not missing a beat. Finding the image of one of his best friend cloaked in rose-gold light. "Ari…?"

She nodded once, a small but bright smirk emerging just for him. "Didn't you already know?" She suddenly laughed at his confusion; though he swore it sounded broken. "Your heart and mine are connected- beyond the discord between us. Because of this linking…you managed to reach out- searching mine amidst the abyss. You did it. You found me."

She surprised him, even as her image wasn't physical; she held her hand out for him. Image fading in and out, he hesitated.

But a warmth from his heart brought his eyes to lock with hers.

"Don't forget what you just said- you can handle what's coming, and you know this. So fight! Until then, I'll be waiting," she called out. "So hurry up and find me! I'm closer than you may think."

A sardonic grin, and he lunged for her hand. Back to the illusion of his home. Back, to finish, what they intended to destroy him with.

~.:*:.~

* * *

" _I'll find you."_

* * *

 _ **Author's Endnote:**_

 _Well well. Confused? That's fine! Through the connection of their hearts, no matter the damage done so far- Riku and Ari connected. He unknowingly sought hers out, and she followed it back to him. She's not physically with him, but she could reach out by her heart._

 _Chapter two of four being posted today!_

 _~ AoZ_


	12. (The Force in Her The Force in Him) B01

_**Disclaimer:**_

 _I own nothing but my OC(s). Everything else belongs to either Square Enix or Disney._

* * *

 **KINGDOM HEARTS: Of Days and Memories**

 _ **The Force in Her; The Force in Him**_

 **Floor ?**

* * *

"Where's DiZ?"

Ari peered around the edge of the Sora's pod, looking to the entrance where Naminé stood; sketchbook and new wax pencils in hand. "You just missed him. Said something about 'putting an end to this charade'…or something."

Naminé nodded, taking cautious steps forward. She seemed satisfied by that answer- or what Ari could tell from, anyway. "Then he went to find Riku…and bring him here."

"Oh?"

The blonde paused midstep, shuffling the contents in her arms to avoid the sudden eyes settled on her own being. "Y-yes… DiZ will entice him to find his way here. Because-"

"-of the conditions. You mentioned the deal you could make him." Ari turned her gaze back to the pod; to Sora sleeping soundly. She paused, silently mulling over something.

Naminé took that as the perfect time to hurry, and shuffled her way to her small drawing table. With a plop, her sketchbook and pencils met the surface. Her blue eyes shot up when Ari enquired of her, "So- what do you think he'll choose?"

Naminé had to bite her lip. "I…I'm _hoping_ -"

* * *

~.:*:.~

"But…your scent just _isn't_ that. It's not Darkness. It's something else."

He seemed amused, so the boy kept speaking.

"I finally understand. You're the one who guided me when it started. You came to me, pretending to be Ansem. You gave me the card- to make me face the Darkness."

"Hm. That is correct."

And no longer was he 'Ansem'. The guise dissipating as mellow, cool light wrapped around the form. Riku was left face to face with a man whose face was obscured behind red wrappings and belts securing them in place. Though the pierce of his amber gaze was not deterred, even as only one eye shown.

"DiZ, or so I am known. You- I've watched you all along."

"Really? Who are you then, DiZ? And what do you want from me?"

"A servant of the world," he spoke with grace Riku couldn't quite place. "And for you, to choose."

"Choose?"

"You are a special entity. You exist between Light and Dark. You stand in the twilight. You are to meet Naminé, then choose."

"'Naminé'?" the boy frowned in thought, puzzled. "Who's that?"

"You will know soon." His physical form began to break apart, gathering together in the form of a small ball of light at his core. "However keep in mind- your decision affects not only you, but a chain of others. Choose wisely, boy."

"Wait…!"

~.:*:.~

* * *

"Are you ready?"

Naminé and Ari looked up to the door, finding the robed man standing tall, hands held behind his back.

The blonde girl shrank the smallest bit at his sharp gaze on her. "DiZ…"

He seemed to brush aside her anxious demeanor, turning his one visible eye to set on the auburn haired girl instead. "I take it she has informed you of the next step."

Not a question. But Ari nodded.

DiZ turned after a pause, a look of thought passing over his amber eyes and shadowed, creased brow. The lines around his lips deepened. "Very well." With his back to both children, his steps carried him with poise and purpose up the stairs. "I will see you once a decision has been made. Follow the stairs. The exit is easy enough to navigate, I'd wager."

Ari frowned. ' _So much for a choice in the matter._ ' She turned her gaze to Naminé, who still remained shrunken as she poured her energy into a frenzy of sketches. ' _After everything, though, I can't argue for one either._ '

Rather than continue her train of thought, she tried her tongue. "Are you alright…?"

The other girl gasped, nearly dropping her pastel. Her blue eyes were wide when they were caught by Ari's quiet gaze of mild concern. "I…I'm fine," she turned away, back to her papers and her pencils.

"Really now?" Ari had to chuckle lightly. "You're hands are shaking."

"He just unsettles me." Naminé spoke pointedly. "He's not unkind, unlike Marluxia and Larxene were with me. But…" she bit her lip, scratching the paper of her sketchbook harder than necessary. "…but it's impossible to escape his scrutiny."

"Like he can pinpoint every wrongdoing you've committed?"

" _Yes_!" the other huffed. Naminé sighed in resignation, turning the page until she found blank paper to mar. "I'm…I'm trying to undo the damage."

"The wounds are fresh." Ari tried carefully, still watching the girl; attention drawn away from the boy behind the glass beneath her fingertips. "Don't let DiZ get to you too much. He doesn't mean you any harm. I just…have a feeling he's very good at reading deeper psychosis of people than most." ' _Just a hunch_.'

Naminé spoke no more. Though it seemed the older girl had calmed her nerves. The pressure on the paper was lighter. The sketching more careful, more focused. The lines weren't erratic. The paper not scarred by pastel pencils digging in.

And that was how they remained. After a point Ari had sunken back to the ground, back pressed against the pod. The blanket pulled tighter as she listened to Naminé scratch and sketch away. Before Ari had chosen to sit back down, she'd been watching the image come to life color and line, by color and line. The pod. And…  
Well, she was surprised to see herself in the image begin to take form. She knew it wasn't Kairi. The clothing and stance didn't match.  
She was tempted to ask Naminé, pry it from her, why she was being sketched into an image. However she had a feeling the girl would just give her a _look_. One that spoke volumes, but Ari wouldn't be able to decipher.

That was when she chose instead to sink to the ground and gather more warmth from the woolen blanket.

And it was after more time had passed, when Naminé had finally stopped using yellow on the page and had been, for a while, using black that Ari had come across another inquiry.

Finger twirling a still-damp lock of wavy hair, Ari mused aloud. "Hey- that replica you mentioned you helped craft."

Naminé paused her sketching, looking over to the other girl. "…Yeah?"

Ari frowned in thought. "Whatever happened to it?"

The pencil clacked to the ground alongside Naminé's startled gasp.

* * *

~.:*:.~

"I thought be finding some new strength, I could finally be someone- someone who is not at all _you_! But…nothing changes… I'm still just _empty_! Everything about me is borrowed. As long as you're around, _I'll never be anything more than a shadow_!"

~.:*:.~

That was its plea. His plea? Riku wasn't sure. What he could be certain about, was that the blade protruding from his lookalike's chest was a fatal blow. A pool of black had bled from beneath it, and a few fragments of what looked like some type of crystal or particle of Light drifted upwards; much like the Rising Falls had, albeit slower.

The other panted raggedly, half-lidded eyes focused on the sky. Riku himself wasn't faring much better. Scraped, scratched, bruised and cut- while still carrying around cracked ribs.

He rubbed a gloved hand over a bleeding lip. At least, he surmised in silence, he'd walk away from this scuffle too.

"So…it's over."

He was only mildly surprised when it started to talk. ' _Stubborn as I am…heh._ '

"Hmph. Death doesn't frighten me." The other masked the wince with simply closing its eyes. "Good riddance…to a phony life." It hissed. "My heart was…never real. I'm sure…whatever I'm feeling now, it's probably all f-fake."

' _Feeling…_ ' It had Riku curious. Pitying, but curious. "What…are you feeling?" He tried.

The identical eyes to his opened sluggish and unfocused; gaze cast to the faux orange of the setting sky above. He didn't answer directly. Rather, the copy responded with a question. "What happens…when a fake dies- one…like me. Where will my h-heart…go?"

The inhale it took was sharp and shallow. "Does it disappear?"

Riku's smile was sad. "It'll go somewhere. Maybe even…to the same place as mine."

It met his gaze, then. A broken smirk. But the gleam in its eyes seemed to indicate it was satisfied by that answer. "Tch," it tried. "A faithful replica until the very end."

It took, after a respite of silence between them, the handle of Riku's dark blade and with what little strength it had left yanked it from its abdomen. It began to bleed out faster, but it didn't seem to care as it tossed the weapon aside.

Riku didn't run to snatch it back up. Watching as the copy's gaze shifted again to the sky. It was a time later, when life barely lit the pale eyes it shared with him, its whispered voice made note of something.

"Orange and red…I've seen…that color…in y-your mem-m-mory."

"What…?" Riku was perplexed.

"H-heh…" it coughed, hacking up the same matter it was bleeding. "Your memo-ory I d-don't have. But I s-saw i-it." Its eyes watched the clouds drift overhead, eyes staying open less and less with each breath it tried to intake.

Riku gave silence. In its dying moment, he'd hear it out before pressing on. ' _I've got time. It's not your fault you wound up like this, after all._ '

"Who…she…?" It tried to ask.

"...'She'?"

"T-the girl…'ve seen 'er…don't…know…"

' _Red and orange. Red and…_ ' Riku's eyes widened, but his expression became masked. "The girl with the auburn hair."

"Y-yeah." It laughed around a cough. "She's…your special…s'mone. Isn't…she…?"

Riku met its gaze. And from the last breath it drew in, it had its answer. With a satisfied chuckle, life left it.

Its body broke apart by that point. What didn't dissolve, broke into particles of Light and drifted up into the air before disintegrating.

Riku waited. Waited until every molecule of the creation was no more part of a body, but an unidentifiable mess on the ground. When no other breath but his made sound within the courtyard leading to a mansion he didn't know.

It was when he was sure he was completely alone that he took up his soiled blade and dismissed it back into the Darkness at his disposal. All with the thoughts of the other's last words repeating in his head.

' _She's your special someone. She's your special someone._ '

~.:*:.~

* * *

With one hand wrapped tightly around the blanket to hold it in place around her, Ari's other occupied the pendant still hanging from her neck. Standing, eyes fixed on the pod with a distant gaze shrouding them, she was only broken from her reverie by the sound of footsteps. Unsure steps as collision of rubber soles met hard flooring. From shadow, she could make out the silhouette.

She peered further, pulling away from the slumbering boy. It was a figure not substantially taller than she. "Riku…?" She wondered aloud, voice cracking on the last vowel.

The footsteps ceased on the utterance of the name. And then, heavy footfalls running abruptly broke the silence and the emergence of the boy into the clinical lights of the white-washed room.

She pulled away entirely from the pod, taking a few short steps to ensure her very own eyes weren't deceiving her.

Ragged, worn, and bruised everywhere. Makeshift bandages encompassing the limbs she could see loosely. But Riku was _there_.

Likewise, his wide eyes were scanning her from head to toe and repeating the motion.

"I…" her voice sounded so harsh to her own ears. "I know I look like a right mess…"

And then he was right in front of her, peering down at her, for months had indeed started to increase his height. His hair was a little longer. But all in all, she could see he was still _Riku_.

From the corner of her eye, she saw his hand quivering just inches from her face. Hesitation apparent in his eyes. Her breath hitched at the invasion of her space, at the wary look lining the bags under his eyes.

She shook her head. "I'm alive." It was a bit harsh, but there were other pressing matters. "I'm alive." A bit kinder, a bit softer in tone.

"You're alive…" He repeated after her in nothing but a murmur. That itself seemed to spread awe through his veins.

It was hard, what she did next. And it took a lot of mustering of her own tired willpower to break her gaze with the boy. But Ari managed. Turning her head to behind her, she called for the other girl. "Naminé…"

Of which was nervously watching from behind the pod. But at the call of her name, the blonde steeled herself to the best of her capabilities.

Quiet footsteps, one by one, she took until she stood in front of the massive pod in the center of the room. Ari could see her shoulders shift with the breath she took in, her gaze rising upwards until her eyes locked dead with Riku's; her shoulders falling with a calm exhalation.

Riku frowned, Ari saw, in thought. "So…you're Nami-"

"Yes." The blonde's voice was strangely strong in how quiet it was.

The frown fell away, and Riku seemed to fall into satisfied contemplation. "I see… That was you…"

That took Naminé by surprise. "What…?"

The boy shook his head, waving it off with a hand. "Nevermind. Forget it."

Ari simpered in silence, turning to better face both the boy and the little blonde. "Are you ready then, Naminé?"

The blonde's smile was faint. "Yes." Her eyes fell back to the boy. "Riku…please come this way."

His frown returned, but quickly shifted to surprise when Ari grabbed his wrist. Without looking at him, her voice softened for him to hear alone. "It'll be okay."

So, he followed. Step. Step. Step…until they were just feet away from the pod. "Look." And he did. A choked gasp, almost bleeding to an outcry, at seeing his best friend immobilized behind foggy glass.

"Sora…!" His eyes fell hard to the blonde. He fought, weakly to Ari's surprise, her grip on his biceps keeping him from lunging at the other girl. "What did you do to Sora!?"

Naminé backpedaled away from the angry boy. "Nothing!" She swore. "Nothing. He's just asleep…"

"Riku," Ari pressed hard, unbalancing him and forcing him, too, to back away several steps. " _Stop_."

His breathing was haggard and shallow, but the steeled gaze locked onto him knocked the rest of the air from his lungs.

Ari turned her gaze to Naminé when she was sure Riku was immobilized for long enough for her attention to deviate. "Naminé, tell him what you told me." She smiled slightly at the uncertain look the girl gave her; blue eyes shifting rapidly between the two teenagers.

"It'll be okay. I won't let him get out of hand."

* * *

"So…Sora chose to forget about this castle…and get his old memories back?"

They sat in a triangle of sorts. Naminé sitting closest to the pod housing the sleeping boy. Riku with a knee raised and an arm propped against it, his back facing the only doorway in and out. Ari sat with her left side facing Naminé and the pod, while her right was angled to the boy. She had a clear view of the two and their sleeping friend, which suited her just fine.

Naminé nodded once at his inquiry.

His eyes angled to Ari, one brow raised while the other furrowed. "What about you…?"

Ari, in turn, shook her head. "My memory was never scrambled."

"Then-"

"It doesn't matter right now." She cut him off. "It's a long story, and I'll fill you in later. But for now, you have a choice to make too, don't you? Isn't that why he sent you here?"

He was bewildered that she knew about that.

Naminé smiled gently. "She's right, Riku. You, too, have a decision to make. Though this one is unlike Sora's."

"I was about to say…my memory is fine."

She nodded. "Yes. But your Darkness…" She bit her lip, eyes shutting as she searched for the right words to say. "Ansem…still lingers deep within the Darkness attached to your heart. He may be at bay for now- but eventually he _will_ wake. And he will fight to take over you again."

Both girls watched as Riku clutched at the place on his chest he no doubt felt his heart's pulse the strongest.

"Naminé…has a power that should be able to stop that from happening." Ari tried cautiously.

"Yes," Naminé's smile was small. "I can make a tight lock on your heart. It will seal Ansem away, and he'll no longer be able to harm you."

Riku's gaze had fallen to the white floor. "What…" he frowned. "What happens to me if I let you do that?" And then, for the first time since his shock, his eyes rose to rest on the sleeping form of his best friend. "Will I forget everything, too? Just like Sora?"

The silence that enclosed on them was all the confirmation he needed. His eyes never tore away. "I'd have to."

"The Darkness in you will be sealed tight alongside your memory of it. You won't remember anything about the Darkness."

"And you'll have no memory of everything that happened, either," Ari pointed out. "It'll be like before the islands were destroyed."

Naminé breathed a quiet sigh. "Riku…please choose."

Silence. Something Ari was becoming quite familiar with. And from the patient calm Naminé emitted, she didn't need to guess that it was the world she was used to. They waited. Riku's eyes never tore away, as silence graced them all. Time itself fell under the illusion of nonexistence. They waited. Watching him, as he watched his best friend with a similar distant look that he saved for the horizon line of the Destiny Island oceans.

"Heh," broke the cloud of hush. Riku's gaze grew sharp. "He doesn't even look worried. I wonder…will I sleep like that too?"

He rose to his feet, making the last trek until his torn gloved palm pressed to the glass. A silent vow, or perhaps a silent taunt. Ari couldn't be sure; his eyes were hidden away from her. She shared a quick glance with Naminé, a silent agreement shared between them. The older girl stood first, offering a hand to the other who gratefully accepted it.

"Figures. Sora always did do as he pleased." There was a quip built into the tone. "Whatever we'd be doing together, he'd find _some_ way to slack off."

Ari was taken aback when his gaze was swift to fall onto her eyes; locked in place. "Remember when we were building the raft?"

She choked on air, before a hollow laugh bubbled. "How could I forget?" She guffawed. "I was stuck doing _his_ work while he was off snoozing on the beach!"

"I told him to take care of Kairi, after it was all over. Did you know that?"

Ari shrugged. "He might have mentioned it. Vaguely, in passing."

"Tch. Instead, he's here taking a nap." He smirked. "That's it, then. When this slacker wakes up, I'll tell him off."

Ari gasped, ceasing her laughter abruptly. "Oh? That your answer?" She quipped.

"I can't tell him off," he wagged a finger, "If I've been asleep, now can I?"

Naminé's inhale was sharp.

His brow furrowed deep. "I don't need my heart locked. I'm ready- I'm gonna fight Ansem."

Ari's brow rose. "Can you handle it?"

He met her gaze head on. "I have you and the King. If anything were to happen…well…"

"Heh…" She half-shrugged. "We've got your back, I s'pose." ' _I hope…_ '

"Even if his Darkness overtakes you…?"

Riku peered down at Naminé. "If that happens, then the Darkness will show me the way. You told me that, in the form of Kairi."

"Hehe…" the blonde placed her hands behind her back. "Yes. I did. I was wondering if you'd found out."

"You and Kairi…both smell the same."

"We do?"

Ari shrugged. "I'm not at all surprised. They feel similar too."

"More importantly," Riku's chuckling died down. "Why do I get the feeling you knew what my answer was going to be all along?"

Naminé shook her head. "I didn't know. But I _did_ hope. Out of everyone, _you_ are the one who can face the Darkness, Riku."

"She's not wrong."

He laughed at Ari- the image itself one bringing nostalgia from better days. With a hand propped on her hip, she pointed at him with a stubborn line positioning her lip. "So don't you start screwing _that_ up, now."

"Fine." He conceded, hands up in resignation. And he turned, then. His back facing his slumbering friend, his eyes fixed on the open doorway. "Look after Sora."

He surprised Ari, when he turned his head to look at her directly. "You ready?"

She shut her mouth, softly simpering weakly. "Yeah."

* * *

 **Basement Floor 01**

* * *

Riku pried the doors open. Whitewalls and flooring met them again, after the image of a town they didn't know painted the walls in a confusing decorum. He was the first to utter a surprised intake of breath. Before him, Ari quirked a brow to see the tiny mouse king waiting for them. Though the figure standing behind his majesty was what drew her attention.

"DiZ…"

The King chuckled, the sound itself more a release of apprehension. "Gosh, it's good to see you didn't go to sleep."

"So he told you everything?" Ari beckoned with her head at the robed man standing several feet away.

"Yup."

Riku frowned, as the robed man pulled away from leaning against the wall. "Do you…know him, your majesty?"

The King frowned. "Well…ta be honest, I'm not sure. Gotta feelin' I've met him… _somewhere_ …"

Ari exhaled, stepping away from Riku and approaching the man. The boy tried to grab her, but she'd already bypassed him. He shared a look with the mouse, before both trotted up to the girl who stood waiting with a fixed look on the sole amber eye watching her.

"Hey- who are you?" Riku demanded.

"I could be anybody, or nobody." DiZ replied with nonchalance. He never broke his locked look with the girl. "It is up to you whether you choose to believe in me, or not."

"Ari…"

She kept her eyes glued on the enshrouded face. "…He's not here to harm us."

"Tch." Riku griped. "You really like pushing decisions on other people."

"And you have pushed away slumber, making the choice to face Ansem."

"Do you think I'm reckless?"

"You have chosen your own path," to which he finally put his sharp gaze onto the boy. "The both of you have."

Riku crossed his arms, stepping in until he'd put Ari just behind his right shoulder. "Are you supporting me, or abandoning me?"

"That choice will be determined by both of you, as well." DiZ pulled his hands from behind his back. A stack of black coats, much like the ones-

"Those are their coats…!"

His nod was directed at Ari. "Indeed. The ones you met were but a handful of a collective calling themselves 'The Organization'. They will no doubt pursue you; relentlessly at that. Like a pack of hunting dogs, they will sneak up on you if they sense your presence. However- this cloak they wear will render their eyes and their noses useless." His eye flickered to the mouse's large ears. "The ears, not so…"

Riku and Ari took the top two, the former holding it out before him with a quizzical look pondering his gaze.

"They wear this to give themselves protection from being devoured by the Darkness from the corridors they use to travel between places."

"Ah…" Ari hummed in thought. "So in other words it's a two-purpose shield for us."

"Correct." DiZ seemed to approve with the higher lilt in his voice. "Clever girl. But can you also piece together what I'm telling you?"

She crossed her arms, one hand still clutching the long coat. ' _They use those portals, however…however…_ '

He chuckled darkly at the realization crossing her eyes. "Yes. Even the Organization cannot rule the Darkness."

Riku's frown deepened. "Doesn't matter. I won't run from the Darkness anymore."

She peered at her friend. A beat later, and she looked up in time to see DiZ toss one last card to Riku.

"Hm," the man ascertained in thought. "Then continue. The card will draw out your heart's Darkness."

DiZ met the gazes of the tiny king and the girl. "Finish your business with Ansem."

"…C'mon."

Ari peered down at the King, noting the resigned look he cast up her way. ' _What other choice is there?_ ' Despite the inquiries she wanted to press, she and the small king followed in Riku's shadow as he passed the silenced man.

* * *

"No way!" She couldn't decide whether to be driven by shock, or to continue scowling at him.

Riku sighed. "Ari-"

"I get why you told him not to come, but me too!? You're on your last leg as it is, Riku!"

"Listen," he snapped. "There's no point in doing this if I can't face Ansem alone."

"Don't be stupid with your damned pride…!"

"I'm not." His tone cut her short. "I'm also looking out for you, too. Have you not looked in a mirror lately? You look about as bad as I'm doing, Ari. And if someone's gonna walk free from this damned place, I'd rather it be you."

She choked on her tongue, eyes averting away from him. " _But_ …"

"Besides, I have a favor for both of you." His gaze turned to the King. "If Ansem is the victor…he's going to enslave me. If that happens, I need you two t-"

"O'course!" the small king beamed. "We'll be right there to save ya!"

Riku was flabbergasted. "What!? N-no!" He shook his head, waving a hand to negate the mouse. "I need you two to dest-"

"Don't even think about finishing that statement." His eyes snapped to Ari. Arms crossed and eyes averted, her tone was stubborn and final. Feeling his gaze glued to her, she dared a peek at him. Her own was uncertain, but the deep pout set in her lips kept her determination steeled. "You aren't allowed to die."

"No matter what happens," the King calmly put in, "we'll be right there to help ya. I promise."

"We both do."

"Unless…" the King frowned. "Unless you don't believe we'll come through for you…"

And Riku had to think on that, befuddled and bewildered. After everything…all of the wrongdoings and the near death he put all of his friends so close to. He couldn't wrap his mind around the fact there was still hope and love for him. And it was plainly written across the arched rise of his brow.

"Riku…" Her voice was quiet, but his attention planted to her the moment his name was spoken from her lips. "What happened…disregard that right now. We need you to fight. And if you need us, call and reach out- we'll be there in a heartbeat." She relaxed her arms, letting them fall to her sides. "Can you have faith in us? Can you trust us?"

The King nodded beside her, a broad smile set and his ears perked.

"Eh…heh." Riku finally relinquished. "…I choose to believe in you- both of you."

"You won't lose!" the mouse cheered for him, while Riku made his way up the shallow steps. "I just know it!"

"You damn well better not," Ari huffed playfully. "Or you'll _never_ hear the end of it! Got that?"

"Yeah, yeah," he waved her off. Yet while he held the card to the door, he flashed her a cocky smirk that said all she needed to know.

* * *

Her fist held fast to her necklace, eyes fixed distantly on the doors that Riku had vanished through. At her side, she could feel the King shift uncomfortably. He was anxious, like she. But they could do no more than wait it out- whether in his victory or defeat, they were waiting ducks.

"Gosh- I hope he's okay…"

She shrugged one shoulder. Her lips never formed the statement she was thinking absentmindedly, for footsteps resonated behind them. Calm. Purposeful. Dignified.

They both peered back, to find DiZ ascending up to their level.

"So he has pursued solo."

Ari tore her gaze away, back to the doors to which her friend had passed through.

"Yes," the King answered.

"And neither of you thought to give chase?"

The King stopped on the response he had, choking on air and looking away.

Ari shrugged instead, responding in his place. "It's a matter of trust, now." It was simple. And she wasn't wrong. For ever since the door had opened and demolished the islands, there had been a wedge growing ever bigger between she and the boy sporting silver hair and bright sea-green eyes. However some progress had been made, that could bring about a mend between them upon his sacrifice to keep she, Sora, and Kairi safe from the Darkness being unleashed.

Now that he'd emerged, a long road lay ahead. And to survive, which she'd known for quite a while, they needed to depend on each other.

The King was an unexpected ally in the mix. And DiZ was neither friend nor foe. But a useful tool loaded with information.

"Hm." DiZ spoke no more for a long while. Where breathing from three emitted the only companionable noise among them. Though it wouldn't last forever, and Ari wasn't surprised when the man spoke again. "Then perhaps I should brief you."

"Brief?"

"For the trial ahead, beyond this castle." DiZ stepped closer.

Ari turned fully, giving him her undivided attention. "Go on, then."

Appearing amused, he gave a quiet chuckle. "Curious as ever." Just as quickly, his expression masked back to one of fierce observation. "For weeks you have wandered these halls. While time itself is nearly lost here- in a domain falling between, time outside continues to tick. This Organization I spoke of is plotting. While five of its members have been felled here, there are eight more still functioning. What their goal is, I'm not yet quite sure. However, Heartless are crawling out from the shadows once more."

"Oh no!" the King startled. "Have any more worlds fallen?"

DiZ shook his head. "Not to my knowledge. However that isn't important currently." He disregarded the King's shock to his nonchalance. Rather, the man focused his piercing gaze upon the girl. "You and Riku are to leave this place. Once a road has been chosen, follow it. Not too distant in the future, Naminé and I will be relocating not only Sora but an abundance of my research away from here."

He paused, watching her eyes and mapping any confusion. None deviated, she was only curious as to his point. "Follow the setting sun. It will lead you to where we are. By that point, I assume you two will be ready for what needs to be done." He pulled from a pouch at his hip, then, a sack that jingled. "I presume 50,000 munny will be enough to keep the two of you alive until we next meet."

She was clumsy to catch the pouch, the sack almost sliding out of her palms. "That's…why are you giving me this?"

"Because you are worth more alive and taken care of, than left alone to await death's door."

DiZ turned at that, making his way back down the stretch to which they'd all crossed. "I'll leave you two to take care of the boy."

As if on que, Ari and the King whirled around back to the double doors.

Ari frowned. "Riku…?"

A beat, and they felt the tug again. A sharp pang of anguish and a distant plea that maybe help was required.

"Oh no…!" And it was the King who started moving first. But Ari was quick to follow.

"Arina."

She paused midway up the shallow steps. The King had already passed the doors, his scampering harder to hear the farther he traversed.

Her eyes locked with DiZ. Hands behind his back, he peered at her from over his right shoulder. "Do not allow Xehanort to cloud your heart any more than he already has."

She startled, gaze tearing away at the name. ' _Yellow eyes…_ ' the thought made her shiver from her core outwards until all of her extremities felt the chill.

"After all," he turned away, steps carrying him onwards again to his descent. "You've survived him twice if not thrice over, now. One would think that would garner its own strength of will and courage. Would it not?"

* * *

~.:*:.~

"Insolent brat!"

"Ansem!"

"This is…the end!"

~.:*:.~

* * *

Ari continued sprinting. She was perhaps a hall or room away from the King. And the more she ran, the closer she came to finding both he and Riku. Never having pocketed the pouch of munny, it jangled with every step of hers that collided with the ground.

 _Jing. Jang. Ring. Jing._

Her own little tune in a desolate castle where no other life aside from the few trespassers breathed a melody.

His pattering had disappeared behind the next set of double doors. But where he had disappeared, Darkness crept through every porous opening. Every crack, every crevice. A potent mixture. A cold sensation.

Ari skidded at the base of the steps. The doors were barely open, and more and more Darkness leaked through. With her free hand she covered her nose, more sensitive to the cold than the potency of the scent.

' _He's in there._ ' She could feel Riku's heart. ' _Hang on. We'll get you out._ '

Up the steps, she pocketed the pouch of munny into her hoody's kangaroo pocket. Fingertips were quick to brush the door, intent on pulling it open and slipping through.

However a jolt wracked her the moment she touched them. She pulled away, darting back several steps.

' _That…felt cold._ '

Not just cold. Malicious. Malice intent on keeping the boy out of her grasp.

Her eyes widened. ' _Him…_ '

"Ari…!"

She gasped. "The King… Your Majesty!"

"Ari, think ya can lend me a hand?"

She side stepped, craning her neck to peer through the open crack. The small mouse king was so, _so_ close to the entrance. In his grasp, he had Riku safely at his side. She breathed a sigh of relief.

' _Remember what he said. I've survived him so far. I can survive a while longer._ ' She steeled herself, taking a deep breath before she gripped the door's side with both hands and gave a good tug. The closer to the door, the weaker the Darkness became. It shied away from the two lively souls, edging itself back into the corners of the room where it may still thrive yet.

Ari paid it no heed, focused more on the mouse and the boy barely breathing that he carried.

' _At least you're still alive._ '

* * *

Riku came to with a groan buried in his throat. Feeling a tightness, his eyes peered blindly beyond the white walls to see a mop of wavy auburn hair in his view, hunched over him with a focused gaze in her eyes. "Ari…?"

Her eyes peered up to his face, away from the gash she was mopping up on his tricep. "So you finally decided to wake up?"

"Tch," he scoffed. He made to sit upright, but the pain in his ribs brought him back to the floor instantly. "Ow…"

"That's what happens," she reprimanded, "when you move with broken ribs." A pause. "…You okay?"

He peered at her through cracked eyelids. A scrutinizing glance, but it fell away when a chuckle bubbled instead. "I will be."

She seemed satisfied with that, pursing her lips in thought afterwards.

"…Can I ask ya somethin'?"

She glanced at his face again, raising a brow.

"Why're you wearin' that?"

She glanced down at her torso. The long black coat the Organization wore as uniform. "Ah," she sighed, tying the bandage on his arm so it would stay put until they could find better equipment. "We need to leave. As soon as you woke, that was the plan." She held her hand out to him instead. "Can you stand?"

With a grunt, he necessitated her help. And slowly, they brought the boy to rising. He hunched over at first, catching his breath.

"Mickey told me the end of your struggle with Ansem back there." She tried. "It's a miracle you're still breathing, Riku."

"And?" his tone was curt.

"…" Her fingers were tentative with their featherlight touch on his shoulder. "I'm…proud of you…I guess."

He smirked. "You guess?"

Her fist collided sideways over the same place her fingers had brushed. "Shut _up_."

"Well lookit that!" a high pitched chuckle behind them.

Ari and Riku turned, the former smiling at the coated mouse king. "Mickey…"

"What happened to the formalities?" the boy had to wonder.

"Eh…" Ari scratched at her neck. "He might be a king- but he's not my king." She flashed a tired grin at the mouse. "So we came to an agreement to be colleagues or somethin'. Right, Mickey?"

The mouse chuckled. "Right!" He moved in closer, peering up at Riku closely. "So Riku, you feelin' okay?"

"I'll be fine." Riku shrugged off the worry the other two still wore in their expressions. "Really, guys."

Mickey pondered thoughtfully with a hand on his chin. "Well, alright then. So what happens now? You two gonna go home?"

Ari and Riku shared a look. The boy turned his eyes again to the King. "…We can't. Not yet. For my own reasoning…well, even if it's faint, I can still feel Ansem somewhere in my heart. Until I know for sure it's safe, I can't just take off and return home."

"But Riku-"

Mickey cut her off. "Your Darkness is your own, though. Just the same as your Light. Up 'til now, I thought Darkness was something that should never exist." The King shook his head at the thought. "But spending time with you, Riku- and I've changed my mind. This road you've chosen- Light and Darkness back to back? It's one I didn't know could exist." He smiled, holding a hand out to the boy. "I think you're gonna show us a way in which they meet, that no one's ever seen before. And if you'd let me, I'd like to walk that road with ya."

Taken aback, Riku numbly took the King's hand. Crouching down, they shook on the promise left unsaid.

"Your Majesty, I'm really…flattered. I…don't know what to say!"

"Gosh Riku, you should know by now you don't have to keep callin' me that! We're pals."

Ari had to laugh at the slight dusting of pink on the flustered boy's face.

He scowled weakly at her, breaking the handlock he and the King had shared. He pointed a finger at her instead. "Alright then Princess, gimme one reason why I shouldn't drag your ass back home."

"Heh," she pushed his chest away, careful to avoid the worst of his cracks. "Easy. You and I are all that are left right now. Sora needs us. And…" she sighed. "We'll work better as a team, I think. We're all that's left right now. Like it or not, we're stuck together this round."

He clicked his tongue. Though if she hadn't been watching him, the playful gaze he sent her way would have been lost in the statement he made. "Tch. I guess I'll just have to deal, then. What a drag."

She chucked the coat still lying on the ground at him. "Smartass."

* * *

Slow steps. Deliberate. Beaten, broken, wounded. But onwards they marched. Night still surrounded them, or perhaps the earliest hours of the morning?

Regardless, they stood still before DiZ who waited in the very center of the four-way cross section of the path they trailed.

Riku's eyes hardened after a time of silence, save for the singing of crickets in the unkempt grass. "What are you making me choose now?"

DiZ's sharp amber eye lay solely on the boy. "Between the road to Light, and the road to Darkness."

"Neither suits me." To which Mickey gave him a befuddled look.

He paid no mind to the mouse, instead Riku chose to press on. As steadily as he could, his pace was sluggish while he passed DiZ and the heart of the crossroads. "I'm taking the middle road."

"Do you mean the twilight road to nightfall?"

' _Twilight, hm?_ ' She made note of the sound it made on DiZ's proper tongue. '… _I can dig it. I'll have to remember that._ '

Riku, though, paused. "…No." He turned his head, peering not to the man challenging him with inquiries, but to the companions he chose to trust to be at his side. Beyond Riku, the horizon grew pink with the slow rise of the distant sun. "It's the road to dawn."

For once amidst the mess that had transpired, Ari's face glowed with elation at the prospects to which not a single soul of them spoke aloud.

' _For with the rising sun, we find hope in another day._ '

* * *

~.:*:.~

 _Walking this road, without you…_

 _To remake our forgotten promises,_

 _And meet you again at road's end._

~.:*:.~

* * *

 _ **Author's Endnote:**_

 _Guess what? We're done with Castle Oblivion and CoM! Onto Days, with a substantial time skip. (I'msosorry…)_

 _Quick Recap:  
Sora and the gang took off ahead of Ari at the beginning upon entering the Castle. With the construct of Castle Oblivion, catching up became problematic. As the group traversed, the doors they passed remained unlocked for Ari, though empty.  
Axel, later, passed on a card to Ari that was a bit different in appearance. Ari thought little of it, as she set off to find the real Riku. But the more she searched and passed through the castle's corridors, the more the card began to act on its own. Eventually it would imprison Ari in her own horrifying memory of the tragedy that befell her home world. (This will come into play repeatedly, especially during the Dream Drop Distance arch.)  
This final chapter, before the time skip in this arch, has reunited both she and Riku. Lost children with a destiny they don't quite know. And it will continue to be a sad story indeed. _

_Anyway, this is the longest chapter so far for this arch. A bit spaced I know, in terms of the flow, but I do hope it got the point across. :) (There were breaks in fluidity, to add to how broken and taxing this part of the series became.)  
_

 _Much love from me to you the reader,_

 _~ AoZ_


	13. Day 97: Transfer

_**Disclaimer:**_

 _I own nothing but my OC(s). Everything else belongs to either Square Enix or Disney._

* * *

 **KINGDOM HEARTS: Of Days and Memories**

 _ **Day 97**_

 **Transfer**

* * *

Bright light from a waning sun setting down beyond the horizon hugging the planes and mountain base. It encompassed the sleepy town; a lively gathering of streetways and underground passages linking sections together among the cliffs and peaks. Bustling passersby, shopping in the early evening, gave acoustics to the change of day. The bakery and its open window, wafting out the scent of the last batch of goods for the day. Mothers and fathers returning from work gathered for the deals of the day outside the butcher's. Children snuck into the ice cream shop for one last goodie before their parents caught them red-handed. The nightlife itself would be quiet, too- younger adults already gathering at corners and bistros lining every street from Market to Station Heights.

Yet she blended in among the crowds gathered. Weaving between the older generation and the newer, Ari moved with grace in each step and pivot she made. It wasn't easy, but between she and her traveling buddy she was the least likely to be detected as an outsider among the sleepy village of Twilight Town. Perhaps a small city would be a better description- no matter. That small detail was of little to no importance. What did take priority, was the boutique she had in her sights.

' _They close in fifteen- need to hurry!_ '

What altered _this_ from the illusion came from the air inhaled. Stale by the form of white walls masking the illusion. Out there, though, among the hustle and bustle of the evening's crowds. There was no stifling clinical air to tinge the oxygen filling her lungs.

Side step. Pivot. Ducking low under arms carrying groceries and she rose again. The baggy sweatshirt masking the leanness her body had acquired over weeks' time pillowed her torso in the sweep. She was already digging into her back pocket- a pair of longer denims draped over flats.

Nothing fancy on their budget. And it was time for an upgrade.

Twilight Town had pride in their clothing. And the quality matched the air and swell of it, too.

Her steps hastened. _Taptaptaptap_! And a skid. A worker nearest to the open glass door gasped at her hunched form, wary of the panting heave she uttered through her teeth.

Before the store clerk- a teen girl maybe a year or two older than Ari herself, tops- could mutter a word of worry, Ari looked up at her through her long bangs.

"W-wait…" And she lurched upward, nearly stumbling and sending the poor girl into a fit of vocal worry, from the choked outcry she emitted. Instead, Ari dragged her attention to the jingling sack of munny in her hand. The pitch had lightened, risen. There wasn't much left. "I need two sets of clothing. I won't be long," Ari's voice still rasped on the vowel 'o'.

"O-oh…" The clerk paused, biting her lip and peering back to two other workers behind the counter and sorting rack. They boy sporting black hair frowned, a beat later shrugging. The other girl had a choppy cut died three shades of pink. She didn't seemed deterred by the last minute shopper. Her gaze veered back to Ari, dirty blonde brows furrowing. "H-how may we help you?"

Ari, albeit surprised, took a moment to reflect, peering at the discount rack just outside the shop's doors. "Erm…just an outfit for me and…" She frowned, puzzled how to word the next slew of words. "And…my…brother…" Her voice's pitch jumped an octave or three on the last syllable of the latter word.

If any of the three were phased at the awkward way she spoke, not a single one gave any indication to noticing it. By that point, the older boy, sporting a manager's lanyard, swept in to take the fearful one's place. "A'ight girly. C'mon in."

His tone, Ari took note with amusement dancing deep in the irises of her river-blue eyes, matched the rough exterior his scene-look mimicked.

' _I'm not at all surprised._ '

* * *

Down the sloping hills, she made her way to Tram Common's districts. Half of the storefronts sported 'closed' signs, while the others were either well open or prepping for the low-key nightlife that existed in the mountain city.

Either way, she was set on finding one figure, isolated on a bridged lip hanging over one of the tram routes running all throughout the downtown region. And so she found him, exactly where they agreed. Long, _long_ silver hair obscuring his face- but Riku was still noticeable to her eyes.

They were silent while she handed him one of the two bags. At his hip on the ground, he rummaged into a large duffle- making room for the extra baggage bought. The crème overshirt he wore over the black wifebeater shifted with every passing move of his broadened shoulders and thicker arms. Just weeks had changed them both. And it would only continue to do so. He was reaching a full head taller than her stature. His muscles had only gotten larger.

She? Well, Ari had grown in height. Her hair was longer, falling to her collarbone- her bangs hardly differentiated from the rest of her. His more so. His eyes were obscured; but turning to her she still felt the gaze he held on her beyond their concealment.

Ari tilted her head. "…Ready?"

She wanted to shift, really, under the sharpness his gazes seemed to bring with them of late. Then and there was no different. Ari fought the urge again, growing quite practiced in masking the workings- emotions and thoughts, internally.

Riku took a moment, and she had to wonder what it was he was searching for in her face. He either found it or hadn't, when he finally managed a brief nod. "…Yeah."

He took the hand she offered, using it to steady himself upright. Dark denims covering simple sneakers. A belt holding his jeans to his hips. On his other shoulder came the duffel bag. Riku noticed she still held the other bag of clothing- inquiring with a furrowed brow, "…did you want me to put it away?"

She was surprised, mouth for a small 'o'. "I'd…forgotten…I guess."

Ari peered down at the plastic shopping bag, frowning thoughtfully. "Erm…" she wrenched her hand off of his, replacing it with the bag instead. "If…you don't mi-"

She didn't manage to finish, as a zipper sounded over tough nylon and plastic shuffled as it was tucked away.

With the repeat of the zipper's whining, Riku picked up again. "Know the way out?"

She looked up at him, to the eyes masked away by long bangs. Her nod was strong, assurance laced in her voice as the octave picked up with the confidence. "Yep. We go through that wall barring the woods. It'll take some time," she looked to the west, where the trams were parked during off-hours. "But we'll need to go now if we want to get out of 'em before daylight's gone."

She peered back up at him. "You ready?"

A small smirk pulled at his lips. Shifting the bag and hand still carrying it, he chuckled. "Tch. Why wouldn't I be?" To which he responded with such confidence at the laugh he'd emitted from her. "Yeah, 'm ready. Lead the way?"

She let the smile come. "Okay."

* * *

It was at the last visages of twilight that the woodlands gave birth to an opening; thinned trees the passage to a sandstone wall.

One behind the other, Ari lead the way beneath the lower branches of younger trees. Riku crawled behind, one arm bracing the twigs away from his face. By the time he'd pulled himself out of the tangle of new growth, Ari had made it several paces ahead to the center of the small opening.

"It's locked."

He frowned at her, moving in at a slow pace. When he stood just to her right, he noted where her eyes were focused on.

"The gate- it's cast-iron and held shut by lock and chain." She filled him in; though she was pretty sure he had seen it. Both sets of metal holding the gate shut were large, and _heavy_.

She was met by silence, save for birds chirping in the trees and deep in the woods. She dared a peek at Riku, who, if she had to guess, was mulling over a thought- sifting a hand through his bangs for once and letting his eyes get a clear view of the blockade.

"…Why not just summon the Keyblade?"

Her expression fell hard- and he chuckled tiredly at the scathing "are you serious?" look plastered over her entire face. "Right, right." He pulled his fingers from his hair, letting strands fall again to obscure his pale sea-green eyes from the world. "Sorry, had to try it." His grin was impish and lazy.

She huffed, crossing her arms and turning away from the boy and eyes hard on the gate. "You know why…" her voice trailed off.

He was curious what she had planned from the next statement made. "Gimme a lift- I'll climb over."

Riku, rather than argue, let her have her way. She wasn't stupid, and he trusted her brain's ability to think through a situation thoroughly... _usually_. So crouched down he went, fingers intertwined and clasped securely to give her a solid step. The sole of her foot fit snug, and on his count of, "One…two…three," he hoisted her up.

Her hands gripped the upper bars, fingers curling around each iron poll. Other foot pressing against the lock and chain, Riku felt her breathe in- and suddenly her weight was lost from his hands.

He peered up, watching as she launched up, over, _twirled_ midair and fingers were fast to latch on cast-iron bars again. Slowing her descent, she used the rubber of her shoes to add friction. She grinned crookedly at him, dropping down into a crouch to subdue the impact of her landing.

"Now what?"

She hummed in thought. "Lemme think…ah!" She pointed at the bag at his feet. "See if I have any bobby pins. If I do, I can probably pick the lock."

"…You couldn't do that on _this_ side of the gate?"

She half-shrugged, giggling hollowly. "Nah. 'Cause if it doesn't work, I'd need to go pound on the door and wait for 'im to answer and gimme the key."

He quirked a brow. An obscure roundabout of thoughts- but they made sense. Her ideas, he reflected as he searched every smaller pocket on the duffel bag, were always like that.

"Well, well."

Her fingers were wrapped around the gate's bars again. "Hm?"

Riku chuckled, pulling out a brown bobby pin. "Looks like your girlish habits paid off."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes and outstretching a hand to take the hairpiece. "Make note," she chided playfully while Riku dropped the bobbypin in her palm, "I _am_ a girl."

He smirked. "I don't think anyone can't _not_ see that."

His smirk widened at her pout. She didn't insinuate anything, though her gaze spoke volumes. Rather, she let the bobbypin pry at the mechanism and let the lock fall to the grassy ground with a diluted _thump_. Chain clanking and sliding to meet its partner.

"What in the world is that racket?"

Both eyes diverted to the old wood doors leading into the mansion housed on the grounds. "DiZ…"

* * *

"A clever notion," DiZ hummed under his breath, mulling over the situation. "Though truly, why not just come and proceed to the door? Surely that would have been easier."

Ari shrugged, hands wrapped tightly around a mug filled with an earthy black tea, steeping still and steaming with an aroma penetrating her sinuses. "It got the job done. How was I to know you were in, anyway?" She took a testing sip of the beverage. Her eyes closed, satisfied.

DiZ chuckled dryly, bringing a glass topped with ice and bourbon to his lips. "Fair enough. Now then-" his gaze fell sharp to both teenagers, sitting on the couch of one of the manor's lounges. Each wing had one. They so happened to be in the west wing. "I have two rooms prepared for the both of you- one bathroom to share. Both rooms lead into it. Nothing fancy here, spare the water heater when you can…" he paused, downing all of his drink, uncrossing his legs from the armchair from which he was settled quite comfortably. "This place is sparse and your own comforts are up for you to decide. I've arranged your rooms already- Arina will take the room to the left of the bath," he gestured to the girl, "and Riku will take the one to the right." He gestured to the boy. "We have a long road ahead of us. To which you will be briefed. There is stew in the kitchen. All you need do is heat it on the stove." The man stretched, rising up and allowing his robes to fall along his sides as per their habit. "I would advise you both take advantage of the opportunity to rest," his amber eye peered at both of them promptly. "Like I've stated, the road ahead will be long, grueling, and taxing."

DiZ turned, then- backing facing the two and shrinking as he crossed the room at his own leisure. "For when dawn comes, will your task be unveiled." He stopped at the doorway, turning his head once more; his eye not visible through the wrappings around his head. "Goodnight."

* * *

"What do you think he meant?"

Ari cocked her head, humming in thought as she stirred the pot of pork roast stew. "Dunno," she tried on her tongue. "Other than it's like what we've been feeling for a while now." She pulled the spoon from the pot, resting it on the granite countertop. For how run down aspects of the manor were, there were sections that were like new. The kitchen, being one.

She turned to Riku, leaning against the counter as the stew itself simmered. "Something isn't right."

Riku was leaning against the bar and breakfast nook, elbows and forearms propped and bracing him in his backwards slouch. "Guess we'll find out tomorrow."

"Tomorrow…" she murmured, looking down to the stovetop at that while her mind tried to gather itself. Her brows furrowed, but her mouth relaxed from being pursed in thought. "Hey," she turned to the boy then. She jerked her chin to the cabinets behind him. "Grab me the bowls, yeah?" She peered then back to the bubbling pot, turning her back to Riku. "Looks like the food's done."

' _The first real meal we've had in a while…_ ' she mulled on the thought, dishing out generous portions of meat and potato and whatever vegetables DiZ had thrown into the concoction. ' _It really has…been awhile._ '

* * *

Very little noise, even amidst the old bark and branches of Twilight Town's woodlands, could be heard, even from the open window from which Ari sat perched against.

A darkened room, with a deep burgundy quilt over navy sheets. The colors suited her not, but better she than Riku, she supposed. She'd caught a brief glance in passing by his room. Teal and aqua. Too bright for his latest persona, but the colors better suited him.

' _He needs something bright in his life right now._ ' And nothing like she herself, currently. Dull and broken and shaken and anxious…

She shook her head, burying her face into her knees. ' _Let's not go there._ '

Rather, when she pulled her face away, she let her eyes fall to the bookcase near the closet door. Littered in literature, she assumed there were books from both Twilight Town and the bastion. ' _Whatever could be salvaged. Whatever could be bargained._ '

Dismal, but not hopeless. A collection though small, she was sure it would bring to light both the workings of this world, and the things she'd been too young to understand beforehand from the other. However-

' _What's that?_ '

A black box sitting between books, concaved to better hide it. But her eyes and wide-awake mind could still discern the gleam in the nightfall.

She uncurled her legs, tip-toeing her way over solid carpet to avoid the creaks of the boards beneath. Fingers were delicate, easing the box and books simultaneously to keep the entire shelf from cascading downwards in a paper and binding waterfall.

When all was said and done, and the books leaning against one another with room to spare for the box when she was finished with it, Ari nestled back in the center of the double bed.

"Now then…what could you possibly be?" She wondered aloud, tips of her fingers easing the lid up and off.

A thick, thick folder as black as the box, with the words "Official Report" scrawled in gold cursive topped off whatever else lay inside the compartment. She frowned, pausing to look it over from front to back. Setting it aside, she maneuvered fingers through to the bottom. "Manilla folders…?" She could feel them more than see; the rough, flimsy, sturdy brown material she'd used countless times to deliver mail back on the islands.

She scooped them all, carefully keeping the stack together. By the weight, she was sure there were at least fifteen tightly compacted together- she wouldn't have been surprised to see twenty or more, though.

Setting them in her crossed lap, she began pulling them one at a time to the blinds; the moonlight chasing enough shadows away to make out at least the bare minimum in legible detection.

' _Lettered numbers…?_ ' Ari chewed on her tongue.

Number. After number. After number. After-

Her eyes widened. Ari's voice hissed out a whispered, "What…what _is_ this…?!"

* * *

~.:*:.~

" _Every day it's work, work, work. I'm dead bored, and I'd for some vacay._

 _A Nobody needs his rest, am I right? And when I get it, it's gonna be nothing but me and my sitar._

 _Sigh…"_

~.:*:.~

* * *

 _ **Author's Endnote:**_

 _Confused? Oops? ;) Anyway we're now under the Days arch! Why Riku and Ari are in Twilight Town will be explained. What they have been up to will be revealed (to an extent, at least). What DiZ has planned more so._

 _And in that box? Well you'll just have to wait and see! :D (I promise it's important. For Ari and DiZ, at least!)  
_

 _Last chapter for today. I'll be returning soon enough!_

 _Much love from me to you, dear reader._

 _~ AoZ_


	14. Day 117: Secrets

_**Quick Note:**_

 _So I may have failed to iterate or mention this- but this Fanfic isn't over! It's split into two archs. "Memories" and "Days"- subsequent to the plot of the two games. To make up for the confusion, the final FINAL chapter of this Fanfiction will be a recap on the events and importance of what's going on! Exciting, right?  
_

 _ **Disclaimer:**_

 _I own nothing but my OC(s). Everything else belongs to either Square Enix or Disney._

* * *

 **KINGDOM HEARTS: Of Days and Memories**

 _ **Day 117**_

 **Secrets**

* * *

:*:

"How has that cloth been fairing?"

Riku's fingers gingerly touched the black fabric blocking his initial sight. "…Alright, I s'pose."

DiZ chuckled dryly. "Aye, you'll grow used to it." He turned his back to the youth. "A material soft in touch, but durable and breathable. It should fair fine for you and that condition you've managed to develop."

Riku's jaw tightened. ' _Rather blunt, aren't you?_ '

:*:

* * *

"Do you have a minute?"

He peered up from the collection of binded notes splayed perfectly pristine across the old dark wood of his desk. A study in the east wing; Ari wasn't at all surprised that he'd cooped himself up in the other region away from she and Riku's quarters.

He gave her a curt nod. "Indeed, I've time to spare." He shut the file with a hard, dulled tap. Pushing it away, he rest his hands beneath his chin. Elbows on the desk, eye fixed on the form of the girl.

"You've come from a workout, haven't you?"

Compression pants and a sports bra. The black coat tied at her waist. Really it was no surprise, tacking on the sweat soaked hair plastered along her cheeks and neck, and the rest bunched back in a hairtie at the base of her skull.

"Sharp as ever," her tone was dry.

She received a chuckle, and a gesture at the grandeur of an old antique chair sitting opposite DiZ on the other side of the desk. Ari jerked her head in a brief nod; brief steps and she sat herself down in the plush cushion.

Like the rest of the mansion, the study was dim and hidden behind curtains muting the deep oranges of Twilight Town's skies.

DiZ's look read amusement. Of what she wasn't certain, and pry she wanted to- but she'd knocked for a reason. And he knew that, too, from the look that passed her eyes.

"Pray tell, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company, my dear?"

His speech pattern matched _his_ , but the intent behind them couldn't be more opposite. She trembled, pushing away golden eyes and their twisted cruelty from her mind.

"The box you so meticulously placed in the room you've lent me."

DiZ chuckled.

* * *

:*:

His laugh was almost derisive, if Riku were to guess. The man wasn't malicious, but neither was he kind.

"Come now," DiZ's grin grew Cheshire-like behind the chuckling. "Your expression gives it away."

:*:

* * *

"So," he removed his hands from beneath his chin. Sitting upright, they found a new home in his lap. "You found it. I was beginning to wonder."

Her brow furrowed the slightest, nearly negligible. "The first night here. I couldn't sleep, and the glossiness of the box caught my eye. The reflection of t-"

"-The moon," DiZ hummed. "Of that I've no doubt. It shines bright here, much like this world's sun." His eye had closed; once it opened it was zeroed in on her without faulting. "Did you manage to take a gander as to its contents?"

She scoffed, crossing a leg over the other and reclining back into the cushion more. "Of course I did." Her brow then deepened. "Why was it there?"

"Surely you can attest to that by reason alone. If you have truly looked through it, then the answer is clear."

"I'll ask again," she cut in, voice still matter-of-fact and the creases in her young face arguing the same. "Why was that box left in that room in particular, in a spot where I was sure to find it."

His mouth lost its humor, eye sharp and void then and there of the playful banter. "Because I found it necessary for you to understand the situation better; from front to back, I expect you to articulate the severity of the events that have unfolded, and the detrimental details of what may yet come." He watched her reaction; any sign of withdrawing or fear did not make itself known to his hawk-like gaze. Fingers interlaced made a bridge again for his chin to nestle onto like a solid Cliffside. "It is yours to inherit."

* * *

:*:

Riku's brow creased into a distrustful frown. Behind bangs and black cloth, DiZ made no mistake in noting that look of defiance the youth so openly wore.

His grin was sharp. "You do not trust me."

And Riku wasn't at all surprised. The angle and depth of his furrowed brow did slacken, but he knew that DiZ was aware that his eyes were not leaving his tall form. "…No. I don't."

"A wise decision, when looking at the broad spectrum that is our lives." DiZ turned his head away, looking instead to the dilapidated ruins of the back garden. "One that will keep you alive- more likely so, anyway."

:*:

* * *

"Mine? To inherit?"

DiZ chuckled dryly. "Indeed. Recall for me, the names found inside each folder."

She felt her face drain of color; an icy chill settling at the back of her throat. She wasn't quick to answer, something to which DiZ found some form of amusement as his lips quirked into a sneer.

"Come now- I know that you've read each and every one in that box." His sneer snapped to a straight-lined lip. "Now. Recite what you recall."

"…Their names?"

"Their names."

As shallow as her breathing had become, she had to breathe in an intake that hurt like a bitch after a point. Letting it out after holding it, her voice still quivered. "Two was…Braig. Four…Even. Three…Dilan." It was starting to become harder. "…Five, Aeleus. Six-" she choked then, unshed tears left ignored and unkempt threating to break from their cage behind her eyes. "I-Ienz-zo."

"And?"

Forcing the moisture away, rubbing her wrists into her eyes. "The…the first. Xeh…Xeha…" She cringed, burying her eyes behind her wrists. ' _It's too hard to do right now._ '

"Come now. His name."

"Don't…" her voice was hoarse and barely mad out a whisper. "Don't make me say it…"

"Oh?" DiZ replied with almost nonchalance. "Come now. What harm is a name?"

"Don't…"

"Quit dawdling and move on." She wasn't surprised by the snap in his voice. But the pushing…well, even she had her limit. And she was almost entirely positive that he was doing it on purpose.

"FINE!" Crossing fingers neither Riku nor Naminé heard her angered shriek, she let her anger frenzy itself and spur her on. "His name is Xehano-"

* * *

:*:

"Speaking of wellbeing- how is she?"

Riku eyed him warily at that, face fallen all to stone in revealing nothing. But DiZ, he figured, knew beyond the visual just what it was whirring in his head.

"It takes no genius to see she isn't well. Care to explain to me the situation? Or need I pry it from her?"

His back was still turned to the boy. Yet, Riku had learned quickly enough, the man was sharp; resourceful and acutely aware of his surroundings.

"Leave her be."

DiZ turned his head again to the boy; the sharp, quiet tone in his voice catching his intrigue. "Oh? And what will you do if I deny your command?"

Riku's expression never gave way. "I will rid her of you."

DiZ read the fine lines, turning away from him and casting an unseeing gaze upon the weeds. "So she has worsened…"

:*:

* * *

"Yes." DiZ was neutral, unreadable, in his obstructed expression. "That is correct. 'Xehanort'."

She was fuming in silence. And DiZ knew it. But for the situation to move forward, she had to be pressed to stave off whatever was creating her inner turmoil.

Ari, though, still wasn't satisfied. "There were other numbers. Other names."

"They're unimportant. Half have been eliminated- numbers IV, V, and VI being among them. Those still thriving will keep their heads low for a time."

"So why then were they're files placed in my room?" She pressed coolly.

"Someone needs to have the data and understand the situation present, should paths be crossed."

A reason, but that wasn't all. There was a deeper one, she knew that much. "You're not telling me the whole truth."

He chuckled. "Clever. No, I've not yet revealed it all. However, in part it _is_ true. Between you and Riku, you are the one I trust with this information."

Her eyes widened. "You mean he doesn't know?"

"Precisely."

* * *

:*:

"You _do_ understand the situation," DiZ pressed. "Everything here is only a temporary state. Sora will not remain incapacitated permanently. Neither will you continue to dwell here."

"And?"

DiZ turned a sharp eye on him. "She will not remain here longer than necessary. Wherein the Darkness and the Light harbor together, I'd rather keep her away from the Organization's nose."

He turned his back on the child, stiff in movement and rigid in posture. "Should she overcome this ailment plaguing her heart useless, no doubt she will perhaps be a weapon deadlier than Sora."

Riku's throat had dried out. "What…" his voice cracked.

"She will be sent away the moment it proves useful, safe, and her assistance is no longer necessary here."

Riku felt _sick_. Sick from the weight, sick from the notion… ' _We'll all be separated again…_ '

"She will return to world of her birth, if the plan remains intact. Do I make myself clear?"

:*:

* * *

"Why not!?" She snapped, hands suddenly slamming onto the hard wood of the desk.

"Because not all information need be shared."

"That's a liability…!"

DiZ's mouth narrowed, as did his eye. "So is revealing information to all pieces on the field." He unlaced his fingers, hands again coming to rest in his lap for a final time. "Should anything happen to either of you, it's best to let as few know the deepest details as possible. However, I will allow for you to divulge what information you see proper to him."

And then there was a look; a glint in his eye. "You know I'm right. Don't pull any strings you know shouldn't be tampered with, Arina."

She swore her throat swelled at the last part he spoke. But she didn't fight, even if her frown and glare were defiant enough. Instead, she pulled away from the desk, turning and heading for the door out.

* * *

:*:

Riku stood in the doorway, before he made any attempt at a reply. Even then, he said it begrudgingly. "Crystal."

:*:

* * *

"Fine." Was her answer. "But mark my words if you're up to something that'll bring us more harm than good-"

"Oh?" DiZ's chuckle was hard, bitter. "And what, pray tell, do you think you'll do?"

Her head turned, enough for one very cold river iris to zero in on amber. "I'll deal with you _myself_."

To which, she was escorted by the sudden rupture of laughter; out the door, and down the hall again from where she'd originally come.

.:*:.

He found her perched on a windowsill, in the back of the west wing of the mansion. She'd disappeared after their simultaneous workout. And quiet as a whisper she was gone. Hours later, he found her there. Perched and very much unaware, or seeming so, to her surroundings.

"Hey."

She didn't flinch. "…Hey."

Riku took the opportunity to move in closer. Step, step, _step_. _Step._ Until he could lean a bare shoulder on the wall near the window's edge. "…You took off earlier."

"…Yep." She still hadn't looked up at him.

"Wanna gimme a clue as to where you ran off to?"

"Don't worry about it, Riku." She finally pried eyes from nothing outside, setting them on the other.

He'd grown accustomed to the shadows making their home beneath her eyes. What he had yet to accept, was that he couldn't magically make them vanish without a trace. Another hit to him, as DiZ even took note within a brief amount of time, if not their first night in that damned manor house.

"Heh," she shook her head. Making a fist, she jabbed it halfheartedly at his bare stomach. Satisfied with the ' _oof_ ' he grunted, she turned on her perch and brought both legs back inside. "Just had to take care of something."

She knew he was still skeptical. Blindfold now or no, she could read whatever it was that radiated off of him. "Y'know," she added as an afterthought, "like you do a lot of, lately."

Ari was sure he choked then, from the noise produced in his throat. Guttural, surprised, and almost keening together.

She laughed. Hollow, soft- but it was a reaction rather than a mask. She turned again, her neck that time, to gaze at a pair of birds flying in an aerial dance above the treetops. "Really. It's nothing to worry about."

And Riku knew- deep down in his drowning heart- that that in part was an absolute _lie_.

* * *

~.:*:.~

" _Roxas is maturing at an impressive rate. His face, the way he handles the Keyblade, it's all exactly the same._

 _The worlds seem so divided and alone, but there's always that steady thread there to connect them. And we Nobodies can never escape the things we did as humans. So it goes."_

~.:*:.~

* * *

 _ **Author's Endnote:**_

 _(Listen to Xion's theme when reading the last part of this chapter. Totally fits. Hehe.)_

 _So broken and hard to understand? Good. :) It'll come back in play later. Also the random texts at the bottom? Secret journal entries during the Days games, from the other Organization members. It's more an ode to them._

 _Anyway! I'm glad and grateful if you're reading this series. Really, truly, it means a lot to see that people are clicking and reading._

 _Much love,_

 _~ AoZ_


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